Washington Post pans Microsoft release of IE8 today

The Washington post wasted no time exclaiming that Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 ignores one-third of the market.

That may be true, but for the past few years IE has not been about getting what you can out of the web - it has been about the web getting what it can into your computer.

Google has written about this and so have others.

Developers, both good and the ones that are evil miscreants get a certain convenience out of you when you launch Internet Explorer on your MS Windows desktop.

For Microsoft's developers, it has spared them the effort to write a stand-alone desktop OS updater, the way all the other operating system companies/groups have done. It would be nice to have one but one cannot overlook the desire of developers to cater to their own convenience.

On the other hand, it has made it so, so, so easy for so many hackers from early teen ages on up to wreak global havoc.

Nothing on the horizon is set to change in that regard - software-wise.

However, companies like Google and Apple have really turned a corner to go up safe and standard avenue. Microsoft, for its part has remained almost exactly the same in its attitudes, deliverables, and its pronouncements for 8 years.

However, you do not blame a monopolist for not wanting to change. You blame their customers, basically.

In this case, you do not blame the customers because they are being punished enough. Some have actually bothered to try out other browsers. Many say they like them and none of them are ignorant of the alternative ones anymore.

I hear monthly about other people getting stuff on their computers and computer accounts ripped off. I usually ask them what browser they use. I always know what the response will be, but I ask just the same.

When new web browser versions come out, you have to look at it this way: some things change, some things don't - which one is the story on this "new" version?

Microsoft web browser share peaked years ago at ninety percent. It is back off its peak now - down to just 2/3 of the web browser market.

However, it is not Microsoft that has lost out. For the most part, they have not suffered the billions of dollars of losses that individuals and organizations who could ill-afford it have.

Even if their market share and other things deteriorated down to forty percent, it is not really Microsoft that would get hit in the pocketbook.

Google has expanded into the web browser area just to raise the bar on how much safety developers put into their product in order to "get by" and be accepted by users. That is expensive but of course it does light a fire under the guy who is in the tail end of that race to pick up the base and get on the ball.

Apple has had some issues but surprisingly no major wildfires. IE retreated from that venue because it could not secure a monopoly position on it.

On the other side of the hill, the wildfire never stops burning. It is a 24x7 flame fest.

Microsoft has a great, historic opportunity to address their OS issues and improve the lot of their OS users simply by dropping development of IE and just easing it into retirement.

There are already several excellent third party browsers for their desktop. Standards are being followed, by other browser vendors. Lots of companies would call such a retirement a "win" - for the company and its users.

Such a win would be great for everyone. The web is supposed to interoperate. Having a browser playing catch up from far behind does not suit anybody when there are cross desktop browsers of such high quality running on 2 or 3 major desktops - not floundering on one, trying not to sink it.

It is a fact. Microsoft Windows is stronger without Internet Explorer. Everything else is just smoke and distraction. The biggest threat to MS-Windows market share ... is Internet Explorer. IE is the biggest problem for it. Everything else can be fixed over time. IE is the albatross around MS-Windows' neck. The thing dragging it down - and holding it back.