Internet Exploder Will Only Be Patched on XP Now.

[gitreel]

http://blogs.zdnet.com/index.php?p=529

I do not use Internet Exploder, but for those who do, they will only secure it on XP.

Microsoft security controversy: Broken promise or a bullet that had to be bitten?
-Posted by david.berlind @ 6:57 am (PDT)

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Though Microsoft's Web site appears to indicated otherwise, the company has acknowledged that, going forward, critical Internet Explorer security updates will only be available for Internet Explorer (IE) running on Windows XP. From a security perspective, the move officially strands users running IE on Windows 2000, Windows 98, Windows 98 SE, and Windows Millenium (the latter three for which a clarification of support statement on Microsoft's Web site says "Critical security updates will be provided on the Windows Update site through June 30, 2006."). Microsoft's Web site says mainstream support for Windows 2000 Professional is not scheduled to end until June 30, 2005.

To defend its decision, Microsoft could argue that IE and Windows are two separately supported software products and that the unfinished support lifecycles of certain versions of Windows doesn't necessarily include applications that run on them such as IE. The different versions of IE are listed as a separate products from the historical version of Windows on Microsoft's product lifecycle Web page. On the other hand, in defense of its decision to give IE away – a move that the Department of Justice argued was in violation of U.S. antitrust law because of the way it foreclosed on competitors (eg: Netscape) and helped to maintain Microsoft's monopoly – Microsoft vociferously argued that Windows and IE were intertwined in such a way that two could not be separated. To keep Windows systems as secure as possible, Microsoft said "We recommend that customers upgrade to XP and SP2 as quickly as possible." At minimum upgrading from an older version of Windows to Windows XP will cost users $99.

Meanwhile, there are ways to beat the $99 charge. Mozilla.org, for example, is just now in the midst of releasing the first version of its Firefox browser as a free download. Though Mozilla.org has reported its fair share of vulnerabilities for Netscape (and will no doubt be reporting some for Firefox), alternative browser adoption is widely acknowledged as one way to improve system security because of how authors of browser exploits have almost exclusively targeted IE. That said, according to a page on Mozilla.org's Web site, while Firefox supports Window 98, Windows 98SE, Windows ME, Windows 2000, Windows XP, and even Windows NT 4.0, Windows XP is "recommended" as the version of Windows that Windows users should run. Firefox also runs on Linux and Mac.

[tgpo]

Microsoft will probably take it back next week and say that they were misquoted

[Capmaster]

It was a typo .....a three-page typo. Yeah ...that's it, that's the ticket

[tgpo]

It was a typo .....a three-page typo. Yeah ...that's it, that's the ticket

Why not. They did it with a whole OS and called it ME

[vitualis]

I don't really trust IE even with all the updates installed...

I highly recommend switching to Firefox for anyone who isn't already using it.

Regards.

[Faustus]

(insert Firefox reference here)

[Tommyknocker]

Is the title of this thread a tgpo, I mean a typo?

[gitreel]

Is the title of this thread a tgpo, I mean a typo?

Nope.

[ViRaL1]

Another M$ attempt to move all users to the latest and greatest version of their OS so that they can make even MORE money. Sadly this will not last. When so many individual users and businesses refuse to make the upgrade for whatever reason, eventually all the unpatched systems (anything before XP) will end up bringing down systems and sites left and right. Everyone will blame M$ for leaving so many 'loose cannons' out there and eventually they'll cave in to avoid a mass exodus to increasingly popular (and safer) browsers such as Mozilla and Firefox.

Nice try Bill.

[ViRaL1]

Here's a question. Since reneging on their support agreement on Window$ 2000 since IE is still an integral part of the OS?

[bazooka]

Here's a question. Since reneging on their support agreement on Window$ 2000 since IE is still an integral part of the OS?

What is your question?

[Jayhawk]

Believe me, i am NOT a Microsoft fan as a rule but it does seem that our goverment (and some of Microsoft's competitors) want it both ways. They want MS to seperate IE from the operating system and treat it like a completely seperate program.

On the other hand, they want IE to play well with all versions of "Windows past". I'm not aware of other companies "seperate programs" being required to work with all versions of all operating systems.

Our lawyers in Washington (and Europe) need a lesson in simple capitalisim. If you want IE to be a completely "standalone" program than so be it. Just don't expect it to compatible with another program(s).

[waheed]

vitualis wrote:

I don't really trust IE even with all the updates installed...

I highly recommend switching to Firefox for anyone who isn't already using it.

Regards.

Thanks for the suggestion vitualis. Ive been using Internet Explorer ever since i first stated using the internet. Internet Explorer has given me many problems, errors, not displaying pictures (instead i get a whte box in a red X in it) etc... etc...

I installed Mozilla Firefox today and i gotta say, its much better then IE. All my errors are gone. I certainly wont be going back to IE ever again.

[Dr. DOS]

Sometimes you will need to run IE. At least I do here at work and I have noticed a few items at home that struggled with Foxfire as well. But for 99% of the work its foxfire for me.