In a sudden shift in direction Google has won the right in the biggest court of America to force Microsoft to change tack in the ongoing saga (not the insurance company) of the browser selection screen. The new screen is touted as being far more streamlined, and in the long run is better for the consumer. A Microsoft spokesperson, T. De-ville, has said in a press release that the new streamlined screen is, on the whole of it, better for consumer choice and, in the long run, better for the Interweb at large. He also said that whilst Microsoft wasn't totally happy with the screen, that it does at least bode well for the Interweb and that control was not an issue for Microsoft. They only want what's best for people. This further new screen has yet to be finalised, so you may end up seeing the original browser selection screen.

* You may find it hard to believe, however this is largely satirical, with a dash of wishful thinking.]]> http://www.phpguru.org/article/449 Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:01:47 +0000 It may have taken 18 years, however MSIE 6 usage has finally dropped below 1%. Surprising news, perhaps, considering the state of MSIE 9, but still very much a welcome piece of news to web developers world wide.

MSIE 6 has been a thorn in the side of web developers for a very long time, causing almost 95% of them to lose hair or suffer premature greying due to the poor nature of this browser and the bugs it contains. It doesn't support modern standards and is very slow compared to modern alternatives. Then there's the severe security vulnerabilities that have been found in the browser, causing Microsoft themselves to recommend users to stop using it. Some of which are now known to be a contributing factor in the onset of several debilitating illnesses.

The browsers life has been a rocky one at best.When it was linked to those illnesses it caused roughly 3 million web developers around the world to launch a class action law suit against Microsoft, which Microsoft subsequently lost, and were forced to pay millions in compensation. The damage had been done though, and the vast majority of those web developers were forced to change their profession, meaning that those left were able to command higher rates of pay, and therefore increasing the cost of developing websites. Further upcoming legal action against Microsoft has been launched to try and recoup those costs. It has been predicted that Microsoft will subsequently lose this action and be forced to pay even more in damages, and there has even been talk by some legal experts that Microsoft will be forced to contribute to the cost of providing better, faster computers to less developed countries in order to prevent a resurgence of the browser.

The prolonged life of the browser has been widely attributed to the fact that it came bundled with Windows XP, which was possibly the last best operating system for normal PCs. The life of Windows XP was extended because of the dire nature of subsequent operating systems. However now that Googles Chrome OS has been around for so long, and with it's elevation to regular PCs, that is now no longer the case, and fast, powerful computing is available to all, at an extremely low cost.

So what does the future hold?

The promising Google Chrome OS Xtended looks as though it will revolutionise the home PC market, and at the same time provide for everyone in terms of computer use models including the lucrative business arena. Powerful and versatile, it will be a fresh take on the traditional operating system, and allow people to move their computing requirements into "the cloud". Which in turn will make computing on the move avery real reality - which will mean benefits for all.]]>