Are you still using Internet Explorer 6?

Just a curious question, how many of you are still using Internet Explorer 6? Well, my curiosity stems from the fact that browser has just recently turned seven years old. Not that I’m saying that older technology is bad. My computer is currently running on Windows Vista and it is my personal opinion that Windows XP runs just a bit better.

However, with the case of Internet Explorer 6, it does fit the profile of the outdated software where the latest version is, in many ways, better. I have been spending a lot of time designing websites, and part of a developer’s headaches is designing for IE6. As of last month, Internet statistics indicate that 25.3% of total active web surfers are still using the outdated browser. Since a lot of people are still using IE6, it is still important to make sure that these pages display correctly.

If you have taken the TekHigh: Web Design title, you have learned that the World Wide Web Consortium has put forward standards. Since IE6 is a browser that was built before these concepts were established as the norms across the web, designing and developing websites that display and work well in IE6 can be challenging. Part of a web designer’s discipline is to make sure that the site is accessible across browsers through web standards. It is quite easy to do so with most modern browsers but it isn’t so with IE6.

One of the reasons why IE6 is still very much in use (I think this still true in the Philippine’s case) is the prevalence of illegal copies of the Microsoft Windows operating system. While available for free, Internet Explorer 7 (and are designed to install only on machines that pass the Windows Genuine Advantage validation.

So yes, back to the question. Are you still using IE6? You might want to participate in our weekly online poll located at the sidebar.