Is ie8 actually much slower than ie7?

Internet Explorer: Ditch IE7 along with IE6?... Should we make IE8 the new baseline for backwards compatibility?

  • IE7 carried over a lot of IE6's baggage. IE8 was a respectable improvment for IE in regards to supporting web standards. If you're hoping on the bandwagon of no longer supporting IE6 (approx 12% market share*), should you also ditch IE7 (8%) in the process? (... IE8 35%). CON: Besides the market share argument; one thing that bothers me about ditching IE7 is that it shipped as the default browser in Windows Vista. Also because we're only pushing for IE6 to die many IE7 users will not be bullied/forced into upgrading. PRO: One reason to ditch IE7 is that with sites like Google Docs, YouTube, Facebook, etc ditching IE6; there will be a lot more upgrades to IE8 (Win XP) or IE9 (Vista/Win7). * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Msieshare1

  • Answer:

    Go for it.  There is too much emphasis on making websites compatible with legacy browsers instead of future-proofing them to with with future browsers and future CSS3 features; get ahead of the curve. How many people are going to be talking about IE6 in 2 years time when it's market share is less than 0.5%?  Microsoft will push ie9 hard in the next few years (to drive Windows 7/8 sales).  Chances are 90% of your website will work in ie7 even if you don't code with it in mind.

Matthew Felgate at Quora Visit the source

Was this solution helpful to you?

Other answers

You probably aren't looking for this kind of answer, but I say switch away from IE. You'll be happy you did! Go to or . If you are really convinced to stay with , make the upgrade to IE9. If you use , you start off with IE10 which is another jump. Internet Explorer is not as secure or user-friendly as some of the alternatives, but it is integrated well into Windows and it gets the job done. As for backwards compatibility, I'd say focus more on the future. The vast majority of people that still use old web browsers are Web Developers, IT Guys, and the elderly. (No offense intended there, just observed that older people I know often stick with older software such as my grandmother who still uses Windows ME) Focus more on creating for the future, with web browsers that support the newest technologies for the web and power innovation and stunning websites.

Timothy McSwain

Just Added Q & A:

Find solution

For every problem there is a solution! Proved by Solucija.

  • Got an issue and looking for advice?

  • Ask Solucija to search every corner of the Web for help.

  • Get workable solutions and helpful tips in a moment.

Just ask Solucija about an issue you face and immediately get a list of ready solutions, answers and tips from other Internet users. We always provide the most suitable and complete answer to your question at the top, along with a few good alternatives below.