Web Redesign – Browser Support
Posted: July 10th, 2015For the next version of the Library website, we have been wrestling with what versions of legacy browsers we will support. We have come to the decision that we will support Microsoft’s Internet Explorer versions 9 and newer (IE9+).This means that our current users of IE7 and IE8 will need to upgrade or choose a different browser in order to have a functional experience on our new website.
Why not support older versions of IE?
The main reason for dropping support of legacy versions of IE is that it significantly reduces the amount of work needed to make the new website work properly. While most other browsers have followed recommendations put out by the W3C (a governing body that sets standards for the web), Microsoft has not historically done so. Because of this choice, web developers have had to write blocks of code specifically to target older versions of IE in order to make many features of modern web design work properly; features such as responsive design, web fonts, HTML5 elements, and modern JavaScript.
Another reason is that many major internet companies have already discontinued support. Google dropped support for IE8 on Nov.15, 2012 and have actually dropped support for IE9 as well (which we will continue to support). Microsoft themselves no longer support legacy versions of IE with many of their new products such as Outlook 2013 and Office 365.
Microsoft will also be dropping the IE brand entirely with their upcoming release of Windows 10. The new browser from Microsoft is being called Project Spartan.
What about other browsers?
The other major browsers (Firefox, Chrome and Safari for desktop and Android Browser, Chrome and iOS Safari for mobile) have had a much better track record in following web standards and therefore are not generally an area of concern for web developers. That being said, it is always a good idea to update your browser to the latest version in order to ensure a quality experience on the web.
Featured Resource
A very useful site for checking into browser support issues is caniuse.com. This site allows for quick reference of most modern web features with easy-to-read compatibility charts. As an example, please see their chart on CSS3 colours.
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