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November 02, 2005
The Browser Problem
Posted by Sandy
The Windows Live demo page is designed to work with the Windows version of Internet Explorer. The site is smart enough to detect the Windows version of Firefox, and it promises that Windows Live will support Firefox.
Where does this leave Mac users? We can't use Internet Explorer. Although there is a version of IE for OS X, it's no longer supported by Microsoft. (It was abandoned after Apple introduced Safari.)
The launch version of the Windows Live page does not load properly in Safari. It appears to be correct in the Mac version of Firefox, but I don't have a Windows box handy to test and see what's actually supposed to appear. The code of the page explicitly tests for Internet Explorer, so I doubt any other browser is seeing what the page makers intended.
Therefore, Windows Live (and Microsoft Office Live) may be designed to keep people using Microsoft's browser rather than its competitors. Obviously, that's not their primary purpose (and Microsoft will probably provide support for some browsers other than IE, if only to comply with its U.S. anti-trust settlement).
The problem for Apple will be the compatibility (or lack thereof) between Safari and these new Microsoft services. If Windows Live or Microsoft Office Live are useful and functional for Mac users, they will need a browser that works. If Safari won't cut it, they may switch to something else. If Apple's Internet strategy is to drive its customers to Safari rather than allowing them to use a product provided by a competitor, any Web services that require a different browser are bad for business.
Comments (9)
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1. Tom Barta on November 2, 2005 11:30 AM writes...
You've heard of beating a dead horse; this is sending a dead horse (IE) to the taxidermist and claiming it's still got some kick in it.
Permalink to Comment2. Benton on November 2, 2005 01:27 PM writes...
Site renders ok for me using Safari 1.3.1 and Mac OS 10.3.9
Permalink to Comment3. Anonymous on November 2, 2005 01:33 PM writes...
site appears to render fine using Safari 2.0.2 and MacOSX 10.4.3.
Permalink to Commentby "fine", i mean as good as it gets from MS.
4. Peter on November 2, 2005 08:11 PM writes...
"Site renders ok for me using Safari 1.3.1 and Mac OS 10.3.9"
Define "OK".
What I get is the Windows Live logo and a search field. I assume there's supposed to me more to it than that.
I'm also using Safary 1.3.1 and Mac OS X 10.3.9.
Permalink to Comment5. Scott on November 2, 2005 08:36 PM writes...
Only get the first page in Safari 2.0.2. Seems to "work" with Firefox v1.0.7 (why would you want it to?). Though what them seem to be offering is nothing you can't already get from Google, Yahoo!, or .Mac. And, oh yah, those versions actually work now.
Permalink to Comment6. Sixer on November 2, 2005 10:20 PM writes...
It works in Firefox 1.5 RC, but Safari 2.0.1 automatically gets moved to ideas.live.com/whatis.aspx rather than ideas.live.com
Permalink to Comment7. NordicMan on November 3, 2005 06:40 AM writes...
Yes, Mac users use other browsers. I use Camino mostly, as I prefer its interface. FireFox has more plug ins, but is less appealing. I also use OmniWeb, and occasionally Safari.
But to access the most from sites, one can turn to FireFox.
The antitrust suit may be of a little help, it should have gone further.
Permalink to Comment8. mb on November 3, 2005 07:46 AM writes...
Of course this begs the question of why Safari users (Limited to Macs and some Nokia phones) would need to access beta versions of very .Mac like services.
I mean online favorites? Come on!
This does however make me want to port dashboard items to my Palm Treo 650....hmmmmm
In any case if these are services they intend to sell instead of give away they are taking money out of their own pockets in not offering it to Mac folks. Perhaps this will give all those folks that used to work on explorer at the MacBU something to do!
Permalink to Comment9. Jon H on November 5, 2005 11:07 PM writes...
"The problem for Apple will be the compatibility (or lack thereof) between Safari and these new Microsoft services."
This assumes anyone will want to use these new Microsoft services.
Let's not count Microsoft's chickens before they're even laid.
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