Microsoft Offers IE7 to All, Pirates Included

sjdurfey writes "Microsoft recently decided to open up IE7 to all users of Windows, not just the ones with legitimate copies of Windows. They claim it is in the 'end-users best interest'. As a result, Microsoft has decided to mark IE7 as a 'High-priority' update. This is essentially a forced update. Granted, its only a forced update if you are running Windows and have windows update set to automatically install all updates, but nevertheless, it's unnecessary. You can however uninstall IE7 from the Add/Remove Programs menu after its been installed. 'A blocking tool kit is still available for companies and organizations that don't use Windows Server Update Services and want to permanently prevent IE7 from automatically installing on PCs equipped with IE6.'" Update: 10/06 21:19 GMT by Z :Sorry if this seems a bit familiar.

Re:IE7 on Linux?

[webmaster404]

Im assuming this means that you can run it in Wine if you want, but IE7 is just the slower, more bloated version of IE6 with a few security patches updated. Seriously, its slower I have no clue why but I guess that just makes me happier I wiped Windows off my hard drive long ago and now have Ubuntu installed. Now FF3 is much faster then FF2 just from the betas

Stranger Daze||Days

[packetmon]

I wonder what will happen to the owner of those pirated machines when they decide "phew... I'm glad MS decided to allow at least this update!" Only to find out about a week or two later MS comes back with a "Gotcha!... All your files belong to us!" Anyway, on my Windows machines I find myself swapping off and on between both Firefox and IE7. I've found there are times when Firefox is just such a memhog while Windows isn't and vice versa, so I swap off between the two. Anyhow enough sidestepping... MS allowing pirates to do anything just sounds so far offbeat I predict MS with evil plans lurking in the background.

pirates my eye, arrr

[megabunny]

This is not about the pirates. This is about the slow take up of IE 7 on the desktops. At our site, IE 7 is still test mode (site admins only). I have no interest in rolling this disruption out to our users. I use it every day and am still not used to it. Now, as a critical update, there will be a push to get it out. Sure, we can turn it off in WSUS. But the users are going to ask why we are not keeping up with their home machines. Yuk. MB

But not on Windows 2000

[tepples]

IE7 also fixes a lot of HTML rendering and CSS bugs. Definately not all, but a considerable amount.

True, but because a lot of web users still run Windows 2000 Professional, which doesn't have IE 7, I as a web developer still need to keep one machine around with IE 6 on it so that I can test my web site against IE 6's bugs. That's why I've hidden IE 7 on one XP machine while installing it on the other. Is there a better way to handle multiple IEs on one PC?

Unfortunately...

[Spy der Mann]

they've fixed also the bugs that made it possible to work around the bugs that they have NOT fixed yet! :-/

Re:Dupe?

[maxwell demon]

Tag Suggestions

dupe, itsatrap, articlecamebackverynextday

Or maybe matrixreconfiguration.
Remember the cat.

You all are missing the point.

[Anonymous Coward]

The bigger target is Adobe's Flash. Right now Silverlight is on about 2% of all machines out there. Are you going to wait for them to eventually upgrade to vista, or you are going to wait for them to install it themselves? Or are you going to give them something they will have to install, or want to install? Just by not restricting it, and announcing the release, they probably will jump from 2% of people being silverlight ready to 12% or 20%.