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Google killing off support for old browsers

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 04 Jun 2011 1:24 User comments (6)

Google killing off support for old browsers Starting on August 1st, Google will drop support for old browsers.
Such browsers include Internet Explorer 6 and 7, Safari 3 and Firefox 3.5 (or lower).

If you choose to not upgrade (or cannot), Google says unfortunately:

In these older browsers you may have trouble using certain features in Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Talk, Google Docs and Google Sites, and eventually these apps may stop working entirely.


Figures from StatCounter and NetApplications seem to imply that about 17 percent of the world will need to upgrade their browsers, mainly thanks to a huge number of IE6 users in China (over 25 percent).

Venkat Panchapakesan, VP of engineering at Google, says the move is necessary for the future:



These new browsers are more than just a modern convenience, they are a necessity for what the future holds. For web applications to spring even farther ahead of traditional software, our teams need to make use of new capabilities available in modern browsers.

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6 user comments

15.6.2011 02:31

i.e. "only new browsers allow us to do all the unnecessarily flashy things we feel like doing just for the hell of it."

25.6.2011 04:20

IE6 support has been dropped over a year ago.

But I'm glad. Mayor companies shouldn't support old browsers. That way, small developers don't have to worry about them neither.

311.6.2011 08:01

There are major compatibility issues between XP and IE8. So Google are doing an Apple and telling me I have to buy a new OS? Get stuffed.

411.6.2011 09:43

Just use Chrome. It's one hell of a lot faster than IE has ever been.

511.6.2011 09:55

It's a matter of principle. Why should I be forced into using a Google product because they can't/won't address the needs of the millions of people still using IE7?

This message has been edited since its posting. Latest edit was made on 11 Jun 2011 @ 9:55

611.6.2011 10:07

it seems like i wake up and there is a new computer app. or something new and it seems like it may cost people money they cannot afford. Espcially with the way the economy is going companys should be more thoughtfull

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