“Microsoft is currently in trouble with the European authorities over its failure to give competitors access to details of its server software after a ruling in March 2004. It may be fined up to 2m euros (£1.36m; $2.4m) a day if it does not comply,” Bill Thompson writes for BBC News. “If the company really wants to show that it has changed its approach to business it could take the radical step of placing the source code for the Mac version of IE into the hands of users.”
“It would be too much to hope for the code to be made public domain and given away without any copyright restrictions, but it could at least get its highly-paid legal team to come up with a reasonably permissive licence that would let coders get their hands on the last supported version and keep it going,” Thompson writes. “Not only would this confound many of their critics, who see the decision to drop IE support as a retaliation against the new-found popularity of the Mac with the iPod generation, but it would give it a massive credibility boost with the free/open source community. A few months ago Microsoft simplified and improved the licences under which it made the source code of some products available for inspection. Now it could go a step further, and actually let us work with its code and keep this useful product alive.”
Full article here.
[UPDATE: 12:40pm EST: fixed headline typo.]
At one point in time, long ago, Microsoft Internet Explorer was arguably the best Mac browser. Seems hard to believe today. Only God knows how much spaghetti code and pieces of code are cobbled together in IE for Mac. It’s woefully old, out-dated, and bereft of modern features. Who would want to work on that? Let it die. If web developers (hello to some banks and government agencies) would simply code for open standards and eschew the proprietary, closed, Microsoft ActiveX crap, the World Wide Web would be a much better place. Nobody needs IE – amazingly the most used and also one of the worst browsers (Mac and Windows) in the world – if web devs design standards-based sites supporting everyone. Any site that requires Windows and/or Internet Explorer is the equivalent of discrimination. The short-sighted company’s name should be noted, contacted with a complaint, and you should strongly consider whether you want to do business with a company that basically kicked you out of their store or service for not using what they say you should use. The customer is always right and businesses that wish to do well should not be dictating how we get to their products and services.
Advertisements:
• The New iPod with Video. The ultimate music & video experience on the go. From $299. Free shipping.
• Connect iPod to your television set with the iPod AV Cable. Just $19.00.
• The New iMac G5. Built-in camera and remote control. From $1299. Free shipping.
• Apple USB Modem. Easily connect to the Internet using your dial-up service. $49.00.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Microsoft may face US$2.4 million per day EU fine – December 22, 2005
Microsoft officially ends support for Internet Explorer for Mac on December 31, 2005 – December 18, 2005
Apple’s Mac OS X, Safari web browser show market share gains – December 03, 2005
Microsoft Windows Internet Explorer flaw ‘extremely critical, worse than expected’ – November 30, 2005
World Wide Web Consortium objects to US Copyright Office’s Internet Explorer-only browser plan – August 25, 2005
U.S. Copyright Office: is it okay if our new website only works with Internet Explorer? – August 11, 2005
Security report shows Microsoft’s Internet Explorer was unsafe for all but seven days of 2004 – March 22, 2005
Microsoft’s Internet Explorer continues to lose share; Firefox, Safari, others show gains – January 20, 2005
Penn State’s IT Services recommends dumping Microsoft Internet Explorer immediately – December 09, 2004
Security expert: Don’t use Microsoft Windows, Office, Outlook, Internet Explorer – December 09, 2004
German Federal Office for Information Security: Internet users should ditch Internet Explorer – September 13, 2004
Securty expert: Microsoft Internet Explorer ‘just cannot be trusted, use alternate browser’ – July 02, 2004
Security firm warns of new Internet Explorer flaw, advises ‘use a different browser’ – July 01, 2004
Microsoft axes Internet Explorer for Mac – June 13, 2003
I’ll say it again: If anything more happens to Microsoft, anything at all, I swear to you I will get very choked up. Honestly. There could be tears.
“Should Microsoft to release source code for Internet Explorer for Mac?”
Why?
Mal, ROFLMAO!
Are we having language problems today? Take a look at the title of this article again… or maybe it’s just me..
OH MY POOOOO POOOOOOOO
IT’S COMING OUTTTTTTT!!!!
I LOVE MICROSOFT!!!
SOFT>>>LIKE MY POO!!!
While they are at posting the source for IE for Mac, would they please also post post instructions for the manufacture of buggy whips?
Who keeps writing that stuff?
“Should Microsoft to release source code for Internet Explorer for Mac?”
I say no for two reasons:
1 – No company should be forced to give up intellectual property (or un-intellectual property as it refers to IE).
2 – The world should work to reduce pain and crimes against humanity, not promote them.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”tongue wink” style=”border:0;” />
I keep seeing Enderle’s posts everywhere here. I didn’t know how much of a fan he is of MDN.
He’s more articulate than I though.
give it up… at least they had the courtesy to do so!!!
Unfortunately, I need Internet Explorer. My realtor MLS website where I locate properties for clients will only work with IE (all other browers are blocked even if you set identify themselves at IE). So, if it dies, I need to use Windows. That’s not a viable alternative. Let it live so I can access one web site that I cannot work without.
Not to rain on the parade of microsoft bashing here, as, well, I hate them too… but it is a little hypocritical to be bashing businesses for making people use IE when Apple does the same thing with the IPOD… at the end of the day, I could really care less about this… I’m just asking for a little objectivity… if you’re going to say Apple shouldn’t open up ITUNES for other MP3 players… how can you say other companies should change the way they do business? Is Safari a better browser? Yes. But since when does quality matter when it comes to this type of thing?
to “Mal”: cute, very cute; i just watched “Serenity” last night….
Microsoft is starting to damage my calm!
billysmom, you have good taste.
^ Wow . . . I just realized how much of a double-entendre that was.
F-ck Microsoft. Make em pay. And good one “Jayne”.
(P.S. Yes, “Serenity” does ROCK!)
jackson711,
Not the same things at all. Websites that require IE are inaccessible to everyone else. Closed. However, if you want the latest Hilary Duff single, you can buy it anywhere – you’re not forced to use iTunes. You’re also not forced to use an iPod to listen to music portably.
They shouldn’t let crack-heads write for the BBC.
Fortunately, M$ will never do this. But if they did, we’d all have to find wooden stakes and start chasing the IE Vampire.
The only value in open sourcing IE is as an example of how not to write code. That is of such a minimal value that it simply isn’t worth the risk of radiation exposure to the rest of the planet.
Bill Thompson should be sought out and publicly flogged for making this suggestion. In fact, isn’t it against international law to promote the development of a Weapon of Mass Destruction?
MW: mother, as in the mother of bad ideas
“you’re not forced to use iTunes. You’re also not forced to use an iPod to listen to music portably.”
You’re just an idiot if you don’t.
My wife has been secretly using a Macintosh for the last two years for her on-line college. Mac’s have not been supported. When the college technical support help desk once found out she was using a mac during a phone call, they hung up on her! She was using Explorer for awhile but slowly switched to Safari when she found it was more compatible with the college’s quirky web site.
She just received a letter from the college that not only admits Macintosh computers exist, but that Safari is now officially supported!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Don’t get me wrong, I loved Explorer back in its day. Used it for years. But it is time to let it die and let the rest of the web developing world realize that the internet is not the blue “e”
Alec, As MDN has said, you should be vocally complaining about the MLS web site – and recruit other Mac users to do the same. You pay to belong to the MLS, do you not? Demand full service. Try demanding it on a daily basis. Send out emails and make phone calls until they understand your unhappiness with their wanting to dictate which comnputer you may use. If they say it is a software issue, (I have heard that excuse, even though it is a web site) demand that they hire someone to rewrite the software. Go to Board of Realtors’ meetings at which you can raise the issues. When they give you some I-want-to-keep-my-Microsoft-certified-job excuse, tell them they should be hiring different people. Continue to point out the security flaws in their chosen system vs. the Mac.
I already know this probably won’t work immediately. We are surrounded by idiots. But, eventually, the right person will move into a position of authority. This new person will be a Mac user. Don’t give up. You should not be FORCED to use Windows! The courts are getting very good at defining a variety of things as abuse. Even though I absolutely disagree with what they are doing, being forced to use Windows is certainly over the line for me!
MW: really!
“While they are at posting the source for IE for Mac, would they please also post post instructions for the manufacture of buggy whips?” – qka
These aren’t instructions on how to build one, but they are still available for purchase:
http://www.aswgt.com/buggywhip.html
Sorry, I couldn’t resist.
Maybe we should bring back CyberDog back too!
Seriously, there are plenty of superb browsers for the Mac. IE won’t be missed. All we really need is an open source ActiveX plugin (hopefully one without all the horrid security issues) for the Mac to handle all the M$ closed, incompatibilities.
@ jackson711
Apple doesn’t MAKE ‘anyone’ buy the iPod, people buy it because they WANT one. If you want a Dell DJ or iRiver for yourself… go and get one and put all of your CDs on it.One is stopping you from visiting any of the alternative music stores that provide legally downloadable music for your iRiver.
I think providing the source code for the Mac version of IE is actually a very good idea since if Microsoft is not going to be doing anything more with it they may aswell let others work on and improve the code base and many websites continue to be built requiring it. I personally don’t use IE on PC or Mac but I know plenty of Mac users who use IE because they have never used any other browser and some because they have to for work related reasons (client obligations to sum degree which sux)