Microsoft has indicated that its forthcoming browser, Internet Explorer 9 (IE9), will not run on Windows XP.
The move makes Microsoft the first major browser developer to drop support for XP, the world's most popular operating system, in a future release.
Although Microsoft excluded Windows XP from the list for the IE9 developer preview, it sidestepped the question about which versions of Windows the final browser would support.
In an IE9 FAQ, for example, Microsoft responded:"It's too early to talk about features of the Internet Explorer 9 Beta" to the query, 'Will Internet Explorer 9 run on Windows XP?'.
That caused some users to demand a straight answer.
"Please tell whether the final version will run on Windows XP SP3 or not," said someone identified as 'eXPerience' in a comment to a blog by Dean Hachamovich , Microsoft's general manager for the IE team.
"If not, please be clear about it. Really, enough is enough of keeping users in the lurch about Windows XP support."
Others bashed Microsoft on the assumption that IE9 would never run on XP.
"Dropping Windows XP support is one of the worst decisions ever taken by [the] IE team, probably even worse than disbanding the IE team back in the IE6 days," claimed an anonymous commenter.
Microsoft had offered up broad hints that IE9 was not in Windows XP's future, however.
A company spokeswoman said the new browser needs a "modern operating system", a phrase that hasn't been paired with Window XP for years.
"Internet Explorer 9 requires the modern graphics and security underpinnings that have come since 2001," she added, clearly referring to XP, which appeared that year.
Windows XP's inability to run the Platform Preview or the final browser stems from, IE9's graphics hardware acceleration, which relies on the Direct2D and DirectWrite DirectX APIs (applications programming interfaces).
Support for those APIs is built into Windows 7, and was added to Vista and Windows Server 2008 last October, but cannot be extended to Windows XP.
Some users worried that by halting browser development for Windows XP, Microsoft would repeat a current problem, getting customers to ditch IE6 for a newer version.
"Those who choose to stay with XP will be forced to [then] stay forever on IE8, which will become the new IE6," said a user named Danny Gibbons in a comment on Hachamovich's blog.
Tough, said Sheri McLeish, Forrester Research's browser analyst.
"This is the stick to get off XP," she said. Windows XP users will solve the browser problem themselves when they upgrade, as most eventually will, to Windows 7.
"What are they going to do, go to Linux or run XP forever?" she asked.
Still, IE9's inability to run on Windows XP will prevent it from becoming widespread until the nearly-nine-year-old OS loses significant share to Windows 7.
According to Web metrics company NetApplications' most recent data, if IE9 was released today, it would be able to run on just over a quarter - 27 percent - of all Windows machines.
No other major browser maker has announced plans to stop supporting Windows XP, but several have dropped other operating systems or platforms.
Last month, for instance, Mozilla said it would not support Apple's Mac OS X 10.4 , known as 'Tiger', in future upgrades to Firefox.
Google 's Chrome for the Mac, meanwhile, only runs on Intel -based Macs, not on the older PowerPC-based machines that were discontinued in 2006.
The IE9 Platform Preview can be downloaded from Microsoft's site. It requires Windows 7, Vista SP2, Windows Server 2008 or Windows 2008 R2.
Comments
Skidz said: CedricI dont think many of us XP Users care about any upgrades etc now since 2001 Microsoft havent produced anything worth upgrading to anyway its been downhill ever since
Cedric said: FFS Microsoft should cut Windows XP users off completely Stop providing any and all security updates and refuse to provide any type of technical support for the operating system If you wont upgrade your operating system you deserve to be left out in the cold
jtt said: I skipped Vista and suspect that Ill skip Windows 7 Perhaps Ill go with Windows 8 XP does all I need Im not going to upgrade just for the sake of it I doubt if there will be anything compelling in IE9
DK said: I am not getting windows seven till my xp is alot older I have another browser I can use
Cycling-rod said: Except for one laptop running XP so I can use a scanner unsupported by linux I use Ubuntu rather than Windoze sic and the Firefox browser on my other computers - so stuff Microsoft
uk said: im not buying windows 7
Skidz said: Couldnt care less wont be shifting from XP anyway no matter what they do Tried the latest stuff vista and 7 nope not for moi
Peter said: I currently use IE8 for just one purpose - occasionally manual Microsoft updates where I dont want to wait for an auto download so no loss Indeed as the weeks and months have progressed since Win 7s launch I feel less and less inclined to move across to it and could see myself sticking with XP for some time to come
Semaj said: No problem I have at least four browsers on my XP machine and IE is way down the list
cdb said: Why is it a problem I take it other browsers will run on XP Microsoft will just lose IE users and no doubt the EU will be happyAnd Sheri McLeish - shouldnt there be a carrot to get off XP I dont react to sticks