Our plans to support modern browsers across Google Apps
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
(Cross-posted on the Gmail Blog and Google Docs Blog.)
For web applications to spring even farther ahead of traditional software, our teams need to make use of new capabilities available in modern browsers. For example, desktop notifications for Gmail and drag-and-drop file upload in Google Docs require advanced browsers that support HTML5. Older browsers just don’t have the chops to provide you with the same high-quality experience.
For this reason, soon Google Apps will only support modern browsers. Beginning August 1st, we’ll support the current and prior major release of Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer and Safari on a rolling basis. Each time a new version is released, we’ll begin supporting the update and stop supporting the third-oldest version.
As of August 1st, we will discontinue support for the following browsers and their predecessors: Firefox 3.5, Internet Explorer 7, and Safari 3. In these older browsers you may have trouble using certain features in Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Talk, Google Docs and Google Sites, and eventually these apps may stop working entirely.
So if it’s been a a while since your last update, we encourage you to get the latest version of your favorite browser. There are many to choose from:
As the world moves more to the web, these new browsers are more than just a modern convenience, they are a necessity for what the future holds.
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75 comments:
What about Opera?
Thanks for making this Push. Too long has IE-6/7 plagued the Internet.
Are there any plans to perhaps also officially support the latest versions of Opera or at least include them in the testing process?
What does Google have against Opera?
See the latest Opera releases:
http://www.opera.com/docs/changelogs/windows/1150b/
And HTML5 support
http://www.opera.com/docs/specs/presto28/html5/
Thank you, thank you thank you! it's about time we force people off the cozy seat of life and get them to catch up to technology. One more feather for Google's hat.
Let's face it, if you use IE-6/7 you need to hang up on dial-up and cash out your technology chips. It's over, I'm a developer and I am SOOO done with people who still need backwards compatibility for crap browsers. I finally issued a notice that I will no longer support IE-6/7, but now I may just point my clients to the Google method.
Thanks again Google!
and what about opera?
IE9 and later will only run on win 7. Millions wont make the migration because of the cost.
This wont matter now but when IE10 comes out (next year?) will Google then drop IE 8 leaving no migration path for millions who refuse to pay the MS tax and upgrade to Win 7? In most cases Win 7 will equire a new machine.
Many corporates are slow to upgrade amd this will damamge that market for Google.
Excuse me, how can XP user migrates to IE8/9/10 without downgrade to Vista/Win7/Win8...?
Indeed - Opera is a browser as valid as any and yet Google seems still be in Blissful ignorance of it's acceptance of standards.
Google, Apple, Microsoft and Mozilla are all parts of W3C-moneybags, Opera is not. So they'll newer "support" it even if Opera will implement all and every of HTML5-elements.
The same question: What about Opera??
Opera who?
get over it, noone cares about opera.
this is good thing bye bye IE6 :D
Is google going to take back support from its API's say translitration for old browsers ?
Please don't even mention dropping support of an Opera version, it always seems the devs will interpret that as dropping Opera support entirely.
Thank you!
"For web applications to spring even farther ahead of traditional software..."
Google, I love your stuff, but this is a patently ridiculous thing to say.
The lack of opera is quite disturbing. It is annoying that things like Instant and the new image search do not show in opera when they work perfectly fine if you mask your user agent.
Come on Google, step up to the plate and do the right thing.
Bold Step..keep going..
Google never did support Opera. (http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Google+Apps/thread?tid=20437dded55d51b3&hl=en)
What about Opera?
No Opera?
All web developers would love google for ever if you stopped supporting IE6 (and older) in google _search_. This means google search should not work any longer at all in these browsers to make people update. This would be the only effective way to get all these really old browsers out of the way. It would really make the web a better place. Please think about it. You could recommend Chrome at the same time and get a lot of new Chrome users (although I'm more a fan of Firefox). You could announce it on the Google homepage a year up front. Or do you still want to code for IE6 in a year?
But thanks already for not supporting them in Google apps any longer. This is the first step.
What about google maps ?
This is great news.
Might stop people using old browsers that give a hacker an easy time.
I'm wondering when you begin to consider OPERA as a modern browser. I'm using it all the time, and don't want to switch. I really wish you may please work for Opera as well.
Thanks for the info, but what about Opera?
Finally, this means I will NOT give more support for IE7 as a web-dev. Finally.
IE in general still suck. But wth.
I would also like to know why Opera is excluded?
Opera is always pushing the standards implementation and working with W3C and their partners (which includes google) and even backed up google WebM video standard, but you guys always trash it...shame on you
My only hope is that Opera will workaround your restrictions again, like a firefox masking or something and still be able to use yours services (most work even though you say it shouldn't and don't support it).
and what about opera, guys?
Opera! Opera!
Great post.. I really like this blog and I am looking forward to see more content like this.. I'll always visit this site. :) Keep it up!
If you have time you can visit this site that i managed to surf in:
Solarium and Solariums
I think is good news for make renew of browser?what about opera or flock?
Do not forget Opera again Google!
We are some that love this little Norwegian browser, and if you're able to code according to the web standards there is no reason why you once again need to lock its users out of your services.
Please made the sniffer look for the needed technologies and not be locked to the specific browsers.
Later today I will be closing my Gmail account as I do not like Chrome, Firefox 4, Internet Explorer or Safari. What some may see as a 'high-quality experience' is a bloody nuisance to others. Why you have to bundle Google Calendar, Google Talk, Google Docs and Google Sites into a perfectly good email site I do not understand.
It seems contradictory to me to support "modern" browser without including Opera in the list.
What MrGALL said. Really? No Opera?? That was my first thought after seeing the list (after cackling that IE7 didn't even make the cut, and some/most are still supporting 6!).
Have you considered that for visually impaired, updating a browser is at the moment nigh impossible, since Firefox 4 and Chrome do not work well with screenreader software? I am not sure about IE but I consider it a dubious choice in every situation.
Please support opera
I'd have assumed Opera would be catered for, among several other modern browsers (like Konqueror which supports some HTML5). I think the list was just shortened a bit here for brevity, rather than list out each and every browser Google Apps is tested with. As these four browser account for the majority of the market, it makes sense to only use those four in a concise list. I would be disappointed though if Opera wasn't regarded as a suitably modern browser by Google though. Aside from the legal implications of effectively cutting a competitor out of the market for no reason, many people use Opera as their main browser, and for good reason; it's always been very much a leader in browser innnovations (think tabbed browsing, multiple stylesheet support, quick-dial homepage, etc)
Several CMS features don't work on Chrome ... e.g. right-click copy-paste in Joomla. Yet they work in other browsers - who needs to fix this problem? All the CMS architects or Google?
WIll google begin to support offline support for gmail and calendar with HTML5 now that old browsers are being retired?
The fact that the only 17 people in the world that actually use opera have posted here speaks to why Google will not devote the monetary resources into ensuring that you and your WOW pals will be happy.
There is a bit problem with this approach since FF roadmap shows that they are planning to upgrade from 3.6 to 7 within this year. Most companies and webapp products just can't keep on with that pace, so I think you need to support at least 4 to 7 for some time longer than just blindly ditch the four and five to support just six and seven.
I noticed that using the major version is ridiculous: As Internet Explorer releases come slowest, this means Internet Explorer versions will be supported longest. And we all know that Microsoft is not fastest at implementing new standards. So this means, you might support IE 8 (released 3/2009, ACID3-score 20) for quite a while and discontinue supporting Firefox 3.5 (released 6/2009, ACID3-score 93). This is simply ridiculous.
You should stop supporting browsers, that do not support the standards you use.
Do not discontinue support for FF 3.5 untill Gmail Offline works on Chrome 12+. That would be a harsh mistake leaving many Google Apps users up in the air. Forcing them to use Outlook Sync (shiver at the thought)
Come on!! Go with opera too!!
Opera? WTF? It's the most used mobile browser.
plz, add Opera to the list!
Opera [Desktop version] is missing!
So suddenly everyone is coming to the aid of a browser that get's a generous 2.2% of global usage?
http://www.w3counter.com/globalstats.php
Good on you Google! Next up, knock IE8 off that list.
Don't forget konqueror \o/
I thought HTML5 was marking the end of browser-sniffing era...
(consider this as one more pro-Opera post)
Pro Opera!
WTF is going on with Google not supporting some Opera product, is it that bad a browser?
Could you please care to explain why you're never including them int he official support list? I'm pissed off, web is choice, and I choose Opera who is a MODERN web browser, don't dare to say the opposite without reason please!
EXPLAIN at least WHY you're not including them in the MODERN browser!!!
I've always kept my copy of FireFox up-to-date and am currently running FF4, however, various Google apps are constantly complaining about me supposedly running an old browser that is not supported. Are you guys going to update your browser version detection scripts so that they actually recognize the versions you're requiring?
WHAT? No support for Lynx?!
Come on guys, your tyrannical ways are killing yet ANOTHER browser. I hope the EU hits you with an anti-trust suit for this.
This is, frankly, disappointing. Sure, good job dumping IE7, but why would you not support Opera? Is there a reason, or are you simply trying to shut out a perfectly good browser? Is it too advanced? Too compatible with standards?
I'm sick of people supporting platforms over standards. If it doesn't work, then yeah, warn me. But stop giving me crippled pages just because you don't like my browser.
I do not understand the widespread ignorance, and in particular, disrespect for the Opera browser. Like it or not, most features that MADE the new versions of the above browsers were copied from Opera, which consistently lead the innovation.
Make it so users can block people they do not want to receive emails from. Such as a crazy ex boyfriend who won't stop! Just make a block option! Don't go the send it to spam route. Just put a block option! Facebook has one, MSN has one. Yahoo has one. PLEASE GET A BLOCK EMAILER OPTION!!!
Sincerely,
Lori Madsen
One of the advantages of Google is that you can get your mail anywhere in the world. If I'm in a poor place with old PCs in a hotel or internet cafe then I need the older browsers to be supported.
what about opera google? don't make me be disappointed google!
Sorry, Google, but why do you keep ignoring Opera?
I concur with a lot of the above comments... HTML5 was supposed to provide better standards-based filtering instead of browser/engine-based filtering. Don't put Konqueror, Opera, or even FireFox 3.6/4.0 in the dark just because they aren't "current".
Please, do this via warning & optional bypass, so people using an older or "unsupported" browser can at least try and know why things may not look 100%.
Opera, opera, opera, opera, opera! Support OPERA!
Now that FF 4, 5, 6, and 7 have all shipped in 2011, that seems to leave a really tight support window for GApps users looking for support. In a managed environment, we simply can't deploy browsers that quickly.
Please support Opera... will you?
Opera
Opera. If you don't support Opera, who's features are you going to steal for the next version of Chrome? I know Opera still has a couple years worth of features not yet included in Chrome, but after that what happens? And what is not modern about a fully compliant HTML 5 browser that has had all of Chromes "new" features over the last 10 years? The telling sign is that changing Opera to spoof as IE or Firefox works fine.
I committed to try Chrome for over a year and I'm back to Opera. I missed too many features and I like having Flash not crash every day.
To all those saying Opera has too few users to bother supporting it, where do you think tabbed browsing came from? How about Chromes start page? And if you like those check out stacked tabs and saved sessions. The point is every industry has a product used by a small number that drives the innovation for the mass consumer products. A Ferrari is not the best choice for everyone, but I like my Ferrari.
I have to agree with the others who say that Opera is an excellent browser -- and one of the grandparents of all Windows browsers. You can't help but look at Chrome and see Opera's influence. I, too, am asking Google to support Opera. It is the right thing to do.
Support Opera
Opera should be supported, also.
If they are using modern techniques and markup, then Opera should automatically be supported, and they shouldn't have to even check if it works. Right?
Support Opera!
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