Why you should get a proper browser
We’ve been surprised to find a lot of internet users who don’t understand why websites “don’t work” on older browsers. There’s a gulf of understanding about why and how to upgrade browser versions or switch to different types, and sometimes an unwillingness to do so because of legacy systems. This is a ticking time bomb that could disadvantage and disenfranchise people and businesses in the digital age.
Modern websites need modern browsers
There’s a wealth of information and opportunity on the internet, and a lot of effort going in from professionals across the nation to ensure that everyone can benefit. The focus on building digital skills is gathering momentum. However, navigating online is one thing, but understanding a browser’s part in this is quite another.
On the other side of the fence, here at JDrew Creations we are working hard to bring better services online. We’re taking advantage of the broadening digital world to create new and revolutionary applications to improve online engagement and interaction. We want you to enjoy using dazzling websites built using standard tools like HTML5, CSS3, modern Javascript and JQuery, but older browsers simply won’t support the latest technologies.
“What’s a browser?” – Really?????
When you first buy a PC or laptop, it comes pre-loaded with an operating system and browser, so it’s easy for the uninitiated to assume that this software is a single unit. When we’ve asked some people in the past which browser they are using, they’ve come back with the answer ‘Windows’ or ‘XP’. This happens not only with the general public but also within large organisations where computer equipment is supplied by a central department. With this level of understanding, it’s not surprising that the need to continually upgrade is lost on a lot of users.
Where equipment has been purchased in the last 3-4 years, the problem is acute. I’m using Microsoft as the example here, as it’s the entry level for most new users and the bulk purchase of choice in business.
Let’s dig deeper into the timeframes: Some versions of Windows XP were still being supplied to new users in 2010, and in April the UK government paid Microsoft several million pounds to continue to support that operating system. Windows 7 appeared in 2009. A PC is still considered a capital investment, so it’s expected to last a few years. However, any hardware sold with these operating systems will have come with Internet Explorer 7 pre-installed! That had a much shorter shelf-life. We’re well into Internet Explorer 11 now, with IE12 on the way. Over the last few years, the techniques of web development have moved with the browsers, so that new sites with new functionality simply don’t work on the older versions below Internet Explorer 10.
If you think the browser it came with is the only option for your PC, it could be easy to get frustrated by this whole internet thing. A friend described an older relative’s frustration with websites that ‘look dreadful’ or ‘don’t work’; a sole trader panicked when their email account stopped accepting attachments; a large organisation with a policy of simultaneously upgrading all its browsers missed a user, leaving them wondering why the internet was broken.
How can you help?
Keeping browsers up to date can transform the user experience. Talk to your friends, colleagues, relatives and clients about browser upgrades. Ask the question at work and at home, and help with downloading new software. Chrome is preferred by 60% of the market, with Firefox at 25% – Internet Explorer, Safari and Opera are smaller players. Once you’re all up to date, the digital world is your oyster.