The Awkward IE10

You have to wonder where Microsoft is coming from, dropping Vista support for Internet Explorer 10, when you consider:

1. Every competitive browser happily supports every Windows OS back to XP, and i'd suspect slightly beyond.

2. Vista and Windows 7 come from the same stable. This isn't a Windows 98 vs Windows XP scenario. You have to wonder exactly why Vista is incapable of running the software.

3. The generally accepted feeling, even by Microsoft, that Vista was a failure doesn't change the fact that many that bought a PC circa 2008 are still using Vista. Failure or not, it's out there.

If this is Microsoft's way of asking users to abandon Vista to stay up to date with web technology it's unlikely to work. Windows 7, after initially being priced competitively now costs just the same as previous versions did. Anyone still using Vista now isn't in any hurry to upgrade, nor do they likely have the technical inclination to do so. Should such as person call their £0 an hour friend or family designated IT support contact, that contact has two options:

1. Recommend upgrading to Windows 7. Friend or family member has to spend £80 reluctantly, which subconsciously becomes support contact's fault, plus support contact has to find an hour to install it.

2. Download and install Firefox or Chrome.

This support contact knows what this support contact would do.