Google drops IE6 support

Google is dropping support for Microsoft's Internet Explorer 6 - the latest blow against the aging browser.

Following a series of security warnings, many have apparently upgraded from IE6 to the more recent IE8, with the latter overtaking the older version in market share for the first time last month.

Now, Google is looking to spur further upgrades, by saying its apps will no longer support IE6.

"The web has evolved in the last ten years, from simple text pages to rich, interactive applications including video and voice," noted Rajen Sheth, Google Apps senior product manager, in the Google Enterprise blog. "Unfortunately, very old browsers cannot run many of these new features effectively."

He said Google Apps will no longer support IE6 as of 1 March, starting with Docs and Sites.

"Many other companies have already stopped supporting older browsers like Internet Explorer 6.0 as well as browsers that are not supported by their own manufacturers," he noted.

Google advised downloading any newer browser, including it's own Chrome.