[kevingadd]

Switching to a Chrome-style update process for IE wouldn't do anything to solve the problem, though. Either enterprises would never upgrade to IE9 because they want control over update deployment, or they'd upgrade to a special crippled version of IE9 that updates at their discretion like how Windows Update works in enterprise deployments. Either way, web developers would still have to deal with tons of machines on old, broken IE.

Enterprise environments are the problem here, MS's deployment model is just a symptom.

Edit: To clarify, my point is not that automatic updates wouldn't work, but that enterprise environments are such a large part of the current internet that web developers cannot ignore them. I'd rather have enterprise users on 'Outdated IE9' that I have to deal with than have 'Oh, are these customers on IE9.0.1.2, IE9.0.1.3, or IE9.0.1.4?'.

[tomjen3]

They would have to update eventually and the old versions of IE would no longer be updated w.r.t security, so they would have to install IE9.

Microsoft is under no obligation to provide a crippled version of IE9, and while the companies would whine a lot, they would fall in line (it is not like they would install Linux on the desktop instead, or even use Firefox).

[sgrove]

But it seems like there would the be a market for a corporate browser, one that guaranteed stability, API access, quirks, etc. Microsoft is already doing that to some degree, so although it would be in the best interest for everyone else if they switched to this auto-updating style, they would be writing themselves out of a market they currently dominate.

[kenjackson]

So let me understand this. Screw over the customers who hand you loads of money to satisfy customers who frankly don't want to use your product regardless of quality?