Ryan Gavin, Internet Explorer GM for Business and Marketing: "We want to make updating to the best protection possible as fast and simple as we can for Windows customers. IE is how millions of Windows customers connect to the Web, so keeping that part of Windows updated at all times is critical to keeping them safe online. With automatic updates enabled through Windows Update, customers can receive IE9 and future versions of Internet Explorer seamlessly without any “update fatigue” issues.

"Wider deployment of the most up-to-date browser benefits the Web in other ways as well. Developers and online businesses can rely on better browsers to deliver richer and more capable Web experiences. We built IE9 with a focus on modern web standards and interoperability so that developers could spend less time coding for specific browsers and spend more time building the next big thing on the Web. More of the Web running an HTML5 capable browser, vs. something built ten years ago, is a great thing for developers and the businesses they support."

An unalloyed good move.

The pain of stuff always wanting an entire separate download needs to end. Like this: "Chrome updates itself automatically, constantly, without asking for permission. Google calls this 'silent updating', because Chrome applies the new code in the background, where you won't notice (unlike the way many programs, including Firefox, ask you to hold on while it refreshes and then demands to be restarted). As a result, every time you start Chrome, you're running the latest 'stable' version available."