Comments on: Mossberg forgets about 600 million people

By: Mike Dimmick

Mike Dimmick — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 13:26:19 +0000

W3Schools’ visitors are biased very heavily towards web designers, who have a much greater tendency to be using Firefox. Most other sites’ statistics show over 80% Internet Explorer usage (e.g. http://marketshare.hitslink.com/report.aspx?qprid=3, http://www.onestat.com/html/aboutus_pressbox48-microsoft-internet-expl orer-usage.html).

By: Ken

Ken — Wed, 25 Oct 2006 13:22:30 +0000

Walt Mossberg thinks IE7 is a disappointment. He also believes the Mobile PC misses the mark, Vista will just be acopy of the Mac, Office Live isn’t flexible, Palm makes better phone software… Starting to see a trend?

Walt has all day long to play with features, but he actually does very little with them. He doesn’t have to build web based applications that will be accepted in industry, have a corporate sales database to synch on his phone, write software for others to use, send customers documents, or any other work that those of us in the real world do.

This leaves him free to analyze toys based on wow factor, regardless of how they work together in the general market place.

Reading the Wall Street Journal (which I subscribe to) for gadget advice is like reading the local papers ofr business news – superficial at best.

By: Dungarees

Dungarees — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 22:54:18 +0000

I downloaded IE7 on a generic XP machine and was suprised at how long it took to download IE7 and how relatively slow it is compared to IE6. I thought it might be my generic, run of the mill computer but it was the same on significant other’s laptop; IE7 is noticably slower than IE6.

Personally, while I may not agree with everying Mr. Mossberg wrote, his review was good, as are most of his columns, which I, unfortunately, read only infrequently.

By: Jhaks

Jhaks — Sun, 22 Oct 2006 00:59:20 +0000

If you want a good review on IE 7 take a look at Paul Thurrot’s review. I personally really like IE 7. I think the interface is nicer than IE 6 and Firefox; very stream lined and easy to navigate. Plus, all the new features are well implimented.

By: Zaine Ridling

Zaine Ridling — Sat, 21 Oct 2006 05:18:36 +0000

Consider Mossberg’s employer, the Wall Street Journal, the same company that employs Peggy Noonan and thinks the economy is great! Oy. I’ve never respected the man’s opinion. Like every other newspaper tech writer (who can’t defend his opinions in a blog), he fawns over everything iPod.

By: Rajo

Rajo — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 22:02:10 +0000

I too experience Digital Divide… I work as an editor/contributor for nationwide tech magazine, and it is increasingly difficult for me to take needs and interests of non-geeks (or, tech-not-so-savvy, I am no real geek myself) into account. I like IE7, I will test it against my parents and friends. I have a Mac friend, who had great difficulty finding his way around Office 07, although I thought there can’t be any easier interface. But as I have difficulties navigating through OS X, it all trickles down to user habits.

By: Moe

Moe — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 15:30:37 +0000

Mossberg is waste of space.

By: Scottcc

Scottcc — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 13:54:05 +0000

I think a lot of IE7 is really new….in fact, I think they overhauled the interface TOO much for the average user.

It’s nice for tech-savvy people who can do this and that w/ relative ease…but for people like my sister and my parents, who AREN’T computer literate, all IE7 will do is confuse them.

You’re right in saying to most people IE7 WILL be new…but also to MOST people they will see no reason to upgrade either, unless forced (by having it included w/ Vista or on new XP machines).

By: Brad

Brad — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 12:33:16 +0000

Is all of this any surprise at all? Mossberg never has anything good to say about Microsoft because his nose is planted in the rear end of Steve Jobs. I’m not saying that Jobs doesn’t deserve the praise, but this guy is Rush Limbaugh to and Apple is the Republican party.

That’s probably the first time that Apple has ever been compared to the Republican party. I claim copyright.

By: Long Zheng

Long Zheng — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 12:12:19 +0000

@John: 600 million people is the number of people who have not experienced tabbing, integrated search or anti-phishing. To them, this is a great way to get introduced to them, because this is a recommended upgrade by a monopoly, and that means common features.

Comparing it to the global population of the world is unfounded and unnecessary. I’m not saying Mossberg should write to the world, but at least those who use Internet Explorer.

There’s plenty of bad press about IE7, I don’t care. I have no stocks in Microsoft. The worse they design, the more jobs I have as a designer.

@schalliol: I kind of agree with you. Just because it isn’t a new concept, doesn’t mean its not new.