Microsoft to push Internet Explorer 8 through automatic update

Microsoft already has pushed via Auto Update the final version of Internet Explorer 8 (IE 8) to customers who had installed the beta version of its latest browser. Starting next week, the company plans to begin delivering IE 8 via Automatic Update to users with older versions of IE installed.

[Lord Anubis]

the only way they can gain market share and the reason they still have a fairly large amount of it in the US. Pitty, i hope the EU commission rid us of their tactics.

[Ghoul]

thats my main problem with ms, forcing everything onto the users.

but you can rest assured that ms will receive a hefty fine from the EU for this once more.

[Kushan]

Try reading even the summary:

"Starting next week, the company plans to begin delivering IE 8 via Automatic Update to users with older versions of IE installed. "

If you already have IE, it'll just update it to the latest version. If you uninstall IE (Yes, you CAN do that, at least you will be able to in 7) then you'll not get the update. Heaven forbid Microsoft keeps their programs up to date! Indeed, Microsoft is SO EVIL for updating people's software so they don't get viruses and stuff, eh?

[FlameBaitGod]

M$ is a sad company

[XxZxX]

YES YES. Please update if necessary. I'm so fed up having to writing a separate css for IE6 that have to kludge png transparency. Couldn't somebody please stop using IE6 please.

[Megaton]

Then shortly after they'll send out a press release claiming 100+ million users chose to upgrade, actively use it, and absolutely love it.

[ShabzS]

i love IE8... its faster than my firefox and really helps me surf faster during file downloads ... i like it.

[Ghoul]

sure if you dont mind using the worlds worse browser and its tons of security leaks and personal information gathering by ms.

[kevanio09]

Would rather the idiots use a relatively up to date and safer IE than an older less safe one.

[IzKyD1331]

See, Mozilla does it the right way, people can download their browser if they want to, Microsoft forces it's way into everyone's homes

[Godmars290]

But if they were, and this was the first time, critics would be coming from all sides attacking them for it.

Because this MS, this is no surprise.

[Karum]

What they should do instead is notify Windows users of the new version and give info on it and let people make up their own minds instead of forcing it.

I choose which updates I download and install anyway and IE8 won't be one of them.

[Moentjers]

they should only force it onto IE6 users. That could help the web developers so they won't have to worry about this crappy old browser anymore.

Personally, they can push all they want. Using Firefox...

[MacD2009]

As an previous user of IE 7 and now I mainly use Firefox which is a lot more stable on my windows vista 32bit then I# 7 is. For Some reason I cant even install IE 8 on my vista 32 bit. Maybe its because I have the beta version of windows 7 installed as well. Who knows?...Maybe this automatic update will install IE 8 on my vista finally...

[kcdude]

I'm a hardcore Firefox user, but I don't really look at what Microsoft is doing as a bad thing. Not because I think the browser is good, but because it is their OS and they should be entitled to have their browser pre-installed on their OS. If Ubuntu devoloped a browser made special for their OS, would you be mad?

[zonetrooper5]

How can people say this is a bad thing, alot of windows users are still using IE6 and IE7. There are a few users using IE4 and 5 lol, I've updated to IE8 already, much better than IE7.

Still, I use Firefox as my main browser however Firefox does have a problem with memory leaks.

[Lumbo]

Good!

Maybe they finally manage to get rid of the POS IE4, IE5 and IE6 that are STILL installed and an open invitation to mischief cause of the atrocious security. I am so sick of having to make special webpages for about every single IE version as MS never liked the idea of following W3 standards and try to force feed their own horrid windows only "standards" to webdevelopers.

[cherrypie]

MS isnt forcing anything on its users. Those who dont keep their OS up-to-date are likely to be those who dont know _how_. And they'd welcome the care and _customer service_ from MS to keep up their PC on their behalf.

you guys, just take a second and think here. This is good for USERS and its good for the Internet Devs/Services (reduced fragmentation / better standards).

This imagined "oh, MS is the bad guy" is just childish nonsense. Really, please, grow the frack up.