Metro-style Internet Explorer 10 ditches Flash, plugins

[FunkY]

Metro-style Internet Explorer 10 ditches Flash, plugins
By Peter Bright | Published about 2 hours ago



Windows 8 will have two versions of Internet Explorer 10: a conventional browser that lives on the legacy desktop, and a new Metro-style, touch-friendly browser that lives in the Metro world. The second of these, the Metro browser, will not support any plugins. Whether Flash, Silverlight, or some custom business app, sites that need plugins will only be accessible in the non-touch, desktop-based browser.

Should one ever come across a page that needs a plugin, the Metro browser has a button to go to that page within the desktop browser. This yanks you out of the Metro experience and places you on the traditional desktop.

The rationale is a familiar one: plugin-based content shortens battery life, and comes with security, reliability, and privacy problems. Sites that currently depend on the capabilities provided by Flash or Silverlight should switch to HTML5.

Microsoft has been vigorously promoting HTML5 for the last year and a half as the best way of providing rich interactivity on the Web. HTML5 potentially has reach far beyond that of Flash, since it can target both conventional browsers and closed ecosystems (such as iOS) alike. However, until now, Microsoft's messaging has been tempered somewhat: use HTML5 when you can, but if you can't—if you need support for DRM-protected media streaming, for example—then it's reasonable to switch to an alternative, plugin-based technology.

With Windows 8, however, those reasonable decisions to use Flash or Silverlight will now be heavily penalized. Technically, there's nothing wrong with the desktop browser, of course; the rendering engine and performance will be identical between both Metro and desktop. But the experience will be substantially inferior. The desktop browser isn't designed for touch inputs, meaning that users will either have to switch to a mouse and keyboard, or fumble around with an interface that wasn't built for fingers. The switch to the desktop browser also appears to discard things like back button history and current page state.

This puts the Metro browser in a peculiar position. Microsoft has positioned tablets as merely a different kind of PC. That, the company argues, affords capabilities and features not possible on iPad-style devices. But PCs have browser plugins—more generally, they have the ability to use the right technology for the job. If Metro doesn't include that flexibility, that could be seen as diminishing the "PCness" of the platform.

HTML5 still isn't a total replacement for plugin technologies, either. The gap is certainly narrowing: Web Sockets, Web Workers, built-in support for webcams and microphones, and more, are all coming to HTML5 browsers (or are available already), and these features will obviate the need for plugins for many applications. But certain corners are likely to remain; DRM-protected video, for example, might forever be impossible in HTML5, and while many people find DRM distasteful, many broadcasters feel they have little choice but to use it.

The solution to this conundrum on the iOS platform has been the app: companies like Netflix and the BBC have applications to watch video on these devices. The result is that in the desire to push an open, plugin-free Web, companies are being forced to migrate away from the Web entirely. Silverlight developers, at least, will have an easy migration path available to them: the new Metro development environment, used for producing native Metro applications, borrows heavily from Silverlight, and making the switch from an in-browser plugin-based application to a standalone Metro application should be relatively easier. Flash developers will have to wait to see what tools Adobe delivers.

HTML5 design and developer tools also remain weak, though this situation is improving with the creation of products like Adobe Edge.

With Microsoft's promotion of HTML5, and the precedent set by iOS, the decision to get rid of plugins in the Metro browser is perhaps unsurprising. But it's not clear that this will truly help Windows 8; the awkward user experience penalizes users who, for no fault of their own, need to use plugins, and detracts from Windows 8's PC claims. A switch to a more HTML5-powered Web will happen regardless—does Microsoft really need to force the issue like this?

origin.static.arstechnica.com

Source
http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/new...sh-plugins.ars

[JayCub]

After reading that i think i will just stick with Fire Fox and IE9 as long as the security holds... Still this is early and i will wait and see.

[Student26]

With the game changing all of this speculation is worth quite little. However, if no flash means that I cannot access core sites like YouTube I think that many people are going to have serious issues with M$s stance. Despite my signature it is possible to be given too much change.

[hellnoire]

With the game changing all of this speculation is worth quite little. However, if no flash means that I cannot access core sites like YouTube I think that many people are going to have serious issues with M$s stance. Despite my signature it is possible to be given too much change.

Well, YouTube also supports HTML5, so IE10 will work with it. However, DailyMotion, Wimp.com, and other sites don't support anything other then flash at this point. And the majority of webgames are flash based... so it's not like it's a dead technology by any means.

My only comment is let me install a browser that actually supports things, or get out of my way. Those are my choices for you, MS.

[Student26]

Well, YouTube also supports HTML5, so IE10 will work with it. However, DailyMotion, Wimp.com, and other sites don't support anything other then flash at this point. And the majority of webgames are flash based... so it's not like it's a dead technology by any means.

My only comment is let me install a browser that actually supports things, or get out of my way. Those are my choices for you, MS.

My bad I wrote that at midnight so you could say I have an intelligence around a . . . anyway I have ready that M$ expects there to be adobe apps based on adobe air to replace plugins

[jock]

If using Vista you will not be able to download I/E 10 as far as I am aware.
Only for W/7 and above.
Please correct me if I have got this wrong.

---------- Post added at 10:12 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:09 AM ----------

Yes I should have Googled it first.I knew I read it somewhere.

Here’s the official word, straight from a Microsoft spokesperson:

Windows Vista customers have a great browsing experience with IE9, but in building IE10 we are focused on continuing to drive the kind of innovation that only happens when you take advantage of the ongoing improvements in modern operating systems and modern hardware.

So, not only will IE10 leave XP users out in the cold, but also Vista users.

[solin]

If using Vista you will not be able to download I/E 10 as far as I am aware.
Only for W/7 and above.
Please correct me if I have got this wrong.

---------- Post added at 10:12 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:09 AM ----------

Yes I should have Googled it first.I knew I read it somewhere.

Here’s the official word, straight from a Microsoft spokesperson:

Windows Vista customers have a great browsing experience with IE9, but in building IE10 we are focused on continuing to drive the kind of innovation that only happens when you take advantage of the ongoing improvements in modern operating systems and modern hardware.

So, not only will IE10 leave XP users out in the cold, but also Vista users.

I think they'll put it that way and so on to get rid of. Later IE 11, but not support in Win 7. And IE 12, does not support the Win 8 and so on.. As I say here..

[FunkY]

I think they'll put it that way and so on to get rid of. Later IE 11, but not support in Win 7. And IE 12, does not support the Win 8 and so on.. As I say here..

Vista support out from IE10 is really interesting move from Microsoft. Vista is not so oldie yet and security etc. work's fine. Solin comment sounds like a possible strategy from Microsoft. Not so fast way but that could make sense at future view

[hellnoire]

My bad I wrote that at midnight so you could say I have an intelligence around a . . . anyway I have ready that M$ expects there to be adobe apps based on adobe air to replace plugins

And here, at midnight, I'm the brightest.

Get me at 6am on the other hand...

As for the state of IE10, even if it comes for Windows 7, chances are good, I'll install it but won't use it. After all, IE8/9, I only use to download four programs, and then never use it again. Those programs are Ninite, ESET, Revo Pro Trial, and AIMP3.

[Ceyfer √]

Thanks to Steves Job!

Flash will not going to die soon, but HTML 5 is the right path and it is the future of the web. It will be a slow conversion!