So long, Internet Explorer 6

Image courtesy of ie6death.com

I thought I would start 2012 with some great news. Microsoft has now announced that Internet Explorer 6 (IE6), the bane of our lives, will be automatically upgraded to the latest versions your Windows operating system permits. Although Microsoft committed to supporting IE6 until 2014 they have been making great strides in encouraging users to upgrade to a newer, more secure browser. Their IE6Countdown site shows IE6 usage around the world. December 2011s numbers are quite encouraging with a number of countries dropping below the 1% mark. The UK, however, is not quite in that bracket yet but at 1.4% we’re not too far away.

For us web developers, I think we are finally able to draw a line under IE6 and stop actively supporting it on client projects. If their target audience still has to cater to users who cling to 11-year-old browser technology then they will have to accept the higher costs of developing their site to achieve compatibility. For everyone else, welcome to the new world where your development looks and performs better and costs just got a bit less!