Microsoft appeals to poverty to get people download Internet Explorer 8

http://www.browserforthebetter.com

by barredo • 17 years ago

15 22 17 years ago

robryan• 17 years ago

Should be a compulsory upgrade, at least from IE6, not exactly like anyones using FF1 anymore, and the only usage I seen of 2 is from some machines at Uni that have had a serious lack of IT staff attention.

dmaz• 17 years ago

I donated my $1.15, and if I had something to install IE8 on, I honestly would.

jsonscripter• 17 years ago

If I did, I probably wouldn't...

thorax• 17 years ago

As much as we bash IE, it's my opinion that it's a step in the right direction with IE8. We should have had something like this 4-5 years ago, but I would much rather my customers use IE8 than any browser made 6+ years ago.

If it supported any sort of full, light extension model by default, I could see myself even recommending my parents stick with it because I could tweak it to help them.

smokey_the_bear• 17 years ago

I downloaded a copy to my ubuntu box. Then deleted it. Anything for the hungry.

blackvine2• 17 years ago

Check the fine print at the bottom.

Microsoft® is donating $1.15 per download to Feeding America® up to a maximum of $1,000,000.

If each download is 1.15 and each download is 8 meals that's 14c a meal. Ignore that ..........let move to the next issue Why the million dollar maximum does Microsoft fear that a download frenzy will put a hole through their pocket jeez!? Anyway just downloaded it and will install it when it rains cats and dogs. lets all download it guys ...four times if you feel like it...we be Robin Hoods stealing from the rich and giving to the poor.

barredo• 17 years ago

What's $1M for Microsoft? This is outrageous on so many levels...

gambling8nt• 17 years ago

I expect they are more afraid of a single individual (or a concerted group of individuals, possibly going by the name "anonymous") downloading N copies for large values of N.

blackvine2• 17 years ago

Umm ... guys I take back my statement. Bill is one of the world greatest philanthropists. Despite the shortcomings of this particular campaign lots of MS $ are going to charity through the Bill and Mellinda Foundation.

Saying this will cost me some karma but trust me my real world karma will go up having realised how unfair my critique was.

antiismist• 17 years ago

Selling MSFT stock to fund a charity is not the same thing as MSFT funding that charity.

absconditus• 17 years ago

Someone should start a campaign to push downloading of Firefox and Chrome as well as donating to Feeding America. I'm sure we could donate more than $1 million. I realize this someone should probably be me, but I'm lazy.

quoderat• 17 years ago

I wrote a script and downloaded it 6.2 billion times!

Everyone's getting a free meal, on me!

ph0rque• 17 years ago

While your script was running, more hungry people were born...

tdavis• 17 years ago

In theory, everyone should get 8 free meals.

lucumo• 17 years ago

Should've read the fine print ;-) Maximum of 1 million dollars. $1.15 per download (which is apparently 8 meals...), so you could've stopped at only 869,565.22 downloads ;-)

TrevorJ• 17 years ago

And for added toolishness, the site breaks your browser's 'back' button.

frazerb• 17 years ago

Don't download IE8

You can be sure that they will get more than 869566 downloads amongst 'legitimate' (if rather misguided) users. So they will reach the $1M ceiling easily enough.

Save your bandwidth. Reduce C02 emissions. Don't download it.

Don't give M$ the chance of singing about how quickly they've served so many downloads....

It's a crap browser anyway. And it didn't run on my Mac or my Ubuntu box.

mixmax• 17 years ago

Steve Jobs was right about Microsoft - "they just have no style"

I'm primarily, but not only, referring to the design of the website here.

xpaulbettsx• 17 years ago

As long as it gets people to not use IE6, it's doing the world a favor

RandomPersona• 17 years ago

Quick sanity check.

Cost to you: 0

If you happen to be one more "extra" click that goes over the $1m cap, fine you aren't out anything. However, the cost to someone else leaving Microsoft's money on the table could actually be their life.

Just don't paint it as anything different than what it is. This isn't charity money. This is marketing money.

If we don't collectively use all of it up it isn't going to the Gates Foundation, it's going to more "I'm a PC" ads.

mattmaroon• 17 years ago

Only here could donating a million bucks to charity be further evidence that Microsoft is evil. Truly impressive guys.

fsniper• 17 years ago

Microsoft bribing again, but in a sensitive way.

Microsoft appeals to poverty to get people download Internet Explorer 8

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