Google apps may drop support for aging browsers

In a bid to keep its web applications in step with changing times, Google's "Google Apps" may drop support for older browsers starting August 1. Google vice president for engineering Venkat Panchapakesan said they plan to make Google Apps take full advantage of features found in new 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," Panchapakesan said in a blog post. Because of this, Google Apps will soon only support modern browsers. Starting August 1, Panchapakesan said Google will support the current and prior major release of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Internet Explorer and Apple 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," Panchapakesan said. As of August 1, Google will discontinue support for the following browsers and their predecessors:

• Firefox 3.5
• Internet Explorer 7
• 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," Panchapakesan said. "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," Panchapakesan added. — TJD, GMA News