List of Evergreen browsers

[Addy Osmani]

(originally posted by Alex in another thread, pinned just to make it easier to reference).

The matrix is OS-based, sadly. Here's the rough outline. Note that all abbreviations are for the *latest* versions of these browsers. All old versions ofany browser are by default not-evergreen and are therefore targets of our effort:

• WinXP & Vista: Chrome, FF, Opera  (no IE 10 for Vista!)
• Win 7 & 8: Chrome, FF, Opera, IE
  
• OS X 10.6: Chrome, FF, Opera (no Safari 6 for 10.6)
• OS X 10.7 & 10.8: Chrome, FF, Opera, Safari
• Ubuntu/SuSE: Chrome, FF (not sure about Opera)
• iOS: Safari, Chrome
• Android 2.x: FF, Opera
• Android 4.x: FF, Chrome, Opera

Notable:

• IE isn't on the list for either XP or Vista. Most people don't yet understand that IE 9 is the end of the line for Vista, and we don't ever want users on browsers that have been left behind. Even one version back is too far.
• Our recommendation to most Android users will be to switch.

[Paul Irish]

My brother runs OS X Leopard (10.5).  Chrome is deprecating support now.  Firefox is at 14 and it's OSX 10.5 support will end in either 16 or 17.

Recommendation there is: upgrade your OS. 

--

So I suppose this begs: to what degree should we recommend upgrading OS's alongside browser recommendations?

[Alex Russell]

Yep. I thought about a long-winded note in the earlier mail about the impending XP problem or 10.5, but the point where there are no new browsers for your OS is a reasonable time for us to write it off as well. Needless to say, this is due to the diminishing incentives for browser makers as OS share falls.

--
More at etherpad.mozilla.org/evergreen . Group at groups.google.com/d/forum/evergreen-the-web
 
 

[Chris Wilson]

I suspect the next round of this will be the "Evergreen OS".

[Brian Kardell]

FWIW - A huge % of the negative comments I got from people I know/respect surrounded this point. I expect this to be where the biggest source of friction lies because upgrading the OS is: a) hard b) generally costs money c) often involves new hardware purchase that people can't afford.

Still, part of me privately thinks that if there is indeed a firm belief that there is likely to be a significant a number of users on a given platform for any length of time (say, the next 4-5 years) - someone would step in with a port of something out there to fill that gap... They could very easily go from unknown to bigger than Opera ever was overnight.  Of course, at some point, they too would give up on any particular OS as it dwindles or reaches practical hardware/OS boundaries, but they could easily just follow the tail and serve the laggards and be very successful (if the original premise is true).

[Brian Kardell]

I'd like to find data on browser version share broken down by OS...anyone have ideas on where to find it? I think it helps make a compelling case to people on an old OS if you can show that a significant (hopefully growing) number of users on their OS have successfully switched and are enjoying benefits they aren't.