[thelist] IE6 "compatible mode" / PNG support

[James Aylard]

Abhay,

>   IE does not have a revenue model. So, all the development work is
>   done to please the general single-digit IQ possessing fat user.
>   The idea is to capture the market with our browser. Once we have
>   that, we can sell software that integrates well with the browser
>   and churns out stuff best supported by only our browser.

	From my perspective, Microsoft targets many of IE's features to medium to
large companies with Intranets. IE ties in well with the operating system,
with Office applications, and with a lot of the back-end tools that actually
make money for Microsoft. However, the browser itself is not the hook; it is
part of the integration. No company is going to buy a myriad of front- and
back-end applications just to get Internet Explorer.
	And, no, I don't think they particularly target fat, brainless people,
either.

>   PNG? Does an 'average' user know what it is? Is it being used by
>   more sites than... umm... 1% ? Why the heck do we put that in?
>   The core development team is still worrying about that CSS problem
>   that is more immediate. We support basic PNG, right? Nobody's gonna
>   miss proper support till version 7.

	No, and most users don't have a clue about gif or jpeg, either. It is not
unreasonable, however, for a software manufacturer to concentrate its
efforts in areas that are likely to generate consumer interest and
enthusiasm. As a developer, I have an interest in PNG, and would be
enthusiastic if IE supported it fully. But I also understand that I am a
minority part of Microsoft's market, and that the interests of developers
are factored in accordingly. That's life.
	BTW, the bootlegged copy of IE6 floating around the web (and available from
Evolt's browser archive) has 100% CSS 1 compliance, with only very minor,
technical exceptions. My guess is that, as much as I like Mozilla, IE 6's
implementation will be more stable.

>   The rest of the team? Well, from the 'average' user's point of
>   view, we gotta add more bars, more shortcuts, more bells n'
>   whistles -- stuff that we guys usually turn off but the 'average'
>   user doesn't. We gotta give him the 'glitz' dudes!

	Yeah, and Netscape 6 added "skins", sidebars, and so forth. Some of these
things are productivity enhancements, and some are simply window dressing.
But, again, targeting consumer interest makes good business sense, and
little if any of it diminishes the product from the developer's point of
view. I mean, the browser's free, for gosh sakes.

James Aylard