There was more news on IE7 today, as Microsoft announced that they would be making the current browser more widely available through Windows Software Update Services, a facility for larger networks to run their own internal update server instead of having all users access Microsoft's Windows Update server.
It's time for everyone who is still using IE6 to be asking: Why am I doing this?
Windows users need IE, at least some of the time, such as to run Windows Update. There are also applications and sites which clearly prefer IE, and there are hacks and vulnerabilities which prefer it too. IE6 is documented to have many more vulnerabilities than IE7, not to mention plain old non-security bugs. No doubt there are applications and sites which work on IE6, but not IE7. The time has come to stop waiting for them to be fixed. It's something like 15 months since IE7 shipped, and they've had plenty of time to make the necessary changes.
IE6 users are also behind the times. Microsoft says that IE7 is actually the more commonly-used version in the US, and gaining share every day.
Finally, so many things just run better in IE7. Tabs are the most obvious improvement, but I've found that printing is much more reliable and higher-quality in IE7. And you don't even have to pass a WGA check anymore to get IE7.
You're actually doing everyone else a favor when you upgrade to IE7; the more systems out there are that are less vulnerable to attack, the less incentive there is to conduct attacks. So do me a favor, take a trip to Windows Update and do the deed already.
