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Apr

30

Internet Explorer 9 Approaching 10% Usage Share on Windows 7

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This month’s share report from Net Applications continues to show some great momentum around Internet Explorer 9 on Windows 7, with share about to pass 10% for the last day in April. We’re excited about that. But the share numbers also give us a great opportunity to reiterate what matters most to us in building Internet Explorer: that the web experiences we all enjoy are getting better. With the growth of Internet users worldwide more people are enjoying the web through Internet Explorer and Windows than ever before. For Windows 7 customers, the best browser for experiencing the web is IE9. As we mentioned last month, we built IE9 to help developers unleash faster and richer web experiences that can take full advantage of the capabilities of Windows 7 and modern PC hardware. So for us, success means that we have real sites and developers taking advantage of those unique capabilities to deliver that better web experience.

clip_image002In the beginning of March, we launched the Dev Unplugged contest as a way to tap into the community of developers who are at the forefront of gaming and music on the Web to share their work with a broader audience. Over 2800 developers have registered for the contest, and the task of judging their work has attracted some of the top minds from the web community.

JoyBits, one of the companies participating in Dev Unplugged, took the time to talk to us about their experience building Doodle God.  This amazing brain-teaser site is based on HTML5 and at present has over 25 million fans. When Joybits tells us that Doodle God runs 400% faster on IE9, it’s a clear signal that not only are developers aware of the differences that come with taking advantage of hardware acceleration through Windows 7, but they are emboldened to continue to push the boundaries of what they can create. Listen for yourself with a little video chat conversation with JoyBits co-founder, Sergio Manucharian.

In terms of users enjoying these new experiences - just six weeks after the launch of Internet Explorer 9 we are about to reach a new milestone, as of the last day in April, IE9 is at 9.95% usage share worldwide on Windows 7. For the entire month this averages 7.5% usage share on Windows 7– doubling the usage share number of 3.6% in March. With Windows 7 selling more than 350 million licenses in the 18 months since its release, more and more people every day are enjoying better web experiences with Windows 7 and IE9.

Developers will also be pleased to hear that we are continuing to see more and more people upgrade to a modern browser with the share of IE6 and IE7 worldwide dropping another 0.7% in April. Our new website ie6countdown.com has had 54,000 tweets since its launch in March and continues to get new supporters worldwide. We now have 530 partners like iStockphoto and Edmodo who are helping to get people to move to a modern browser. Thank you!

If you haven’t already made the move to Internet Explorer 9, try it by visiting www.beautyoftheweb.com.

Ryan Gavin
Senior Director, Internet Explorer Business and Marketing

Apr

29

Hotmail Making People Happy

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When we planned the Hotmail Sweep contest, we didn’t realize how much it would mean to winner. We were so touched with Teresa’s story, in her own words, that we wanted to share.

Thanks again so much for this, you guys will never know what this means to me. I am a 53 yr old woman who was a teacher’s aide for over 10 years. then I got hurt and had a badly botched surgery…two more to follow to try to fix the mess. I spend my life in constant chronic pain. I literally can’t clean my house. I waited too long to apply for disability (I was honest darn it) and by the time I finally admitted to myself that I wasn’t going to get better. I was told it was too late I no longer had enough POINTS? So we live on my husband’ Social Security check and believe me there is no money left over for a badly needed housekeeper. That is why this means so very very much to me. I am still blown away for this and I just can’t believe you guys have given me this wonderful gift.

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Apr

29

Windows 7 themes: the quirky wonderland of Chang Fan-Hsuan

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Most of the Windows 7 themes on the Personalization Gallery feature photography, but we also have quite a few themes that feature painting, illustration, cartoons, calligraphy, and even sculpture. Some of these themes were coordinated by my teammate Zin, in Taiwan, who reached out to several local artists through Original Content Creator, an association formed by Taiwan’s Institute for Information Industry to promote and encourage local artists, writers, filmmakers, and creators of all kinds. I was intrigued by the artwork and wanted to find out the stories behind the images, so I asked Zin if he could help me bridge the language gap so I could interview the artists.

Today’s post is about Chang Fan-Hsuan, the artist behind the 26Creative theme.

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In this theme brilliant patchwork flowers bloom, brightly-colored goggle-eyed creatures play surreal musical instruments, and fish roll on wheels, towing smaller fish on wheels. “It’s like going into a colorful garden when you turn on the computer,” says Ms. Chang. “Flowing musical notes lead us into an adventure wonderland.”

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Where does she get her ideas? “Sometimes from real events or life experiences… or from the stories told by friends or strangers. It’s just like a glass of juice made by a juice extractor. Some paintings are the compression of emotions, and some are just meaningless daydreams.”

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I asked about what kind of work Fan-Hsuan does, and discovered that in addition to working as a commercial graphic designer, she also owns and manages a café. One of her favorite ways to get into the creative mode is with a latte and some snacks, in a quiet place. “Most of the time, I use marker pens to draw the outline of the world of my imagination. Sometimes I paint it on the computer or just on the canvas.”

What launched Fan-Hsuan on her path as an artist? “My parents inspired me. They didn’t punish me when I got low scores in school. They encouraged me to do all the things I really want to do, to be the person I want to be, and live my own dreams.”

I asked her what she would recommend to others who might want to become artists – or if there was a piece of advice she wished someone had given her, when she was starting out. She replied “Keep holding on to your passion and hopes, and try to maintain a balance between reality and dreams. Be honest with yourself and be honest in your artwork – remember your own unique originality. Try to capture that first pure idea that was in your mind, and express it in your art. Sometimes people tell you ‘As you get older, you must get more pragmatic, or you won’t earn money!’ But also remember to keep going, don’t give up, and don’t forget who you are. My own goal for the future is to keep finding and recognizing myself, and discovering different ways of showing the vision I have inside and sharing it with the outside world.”

For more of Ms. Chang’s unique creative vision, see her blog. And for more Windows 7 themes, keep checking back on the Windows Personalization gallery.

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