[Nottingham] Here's something to annoying you

[Martin]

> So long as the browser supports the required features (and it's fair enough
> to check for those), I'm at a loss as to why the OS matters.  Not like their
> doing harum-scarum stuff or hosting cutting-edge ActiveX controls... :-P

Indeed, there should be no need to test for which OS is being used.
Unless that is we're still back in the dark old days where a certain
company's application famously tested whether "MSDOS" was being used
rather than the equally capable DRDOS or others, or the silliness with
the "Naughty Intel" (CPU cripple) test... I'm sure there will be other
underhand examples...

In any case, I thought that no respectable website would host any
ActiveX on the web. Just for the sake of security even if not for
compatibility or for the fact that most will have ActiveX disabled...

The real question for your example of the assumed laziness on the part
of the website developer and the misleading requirements is: Did it
work ok regardless?

And what response you get from your enquiry?


Cheers,
Martin


"Microsoft also used a variety of tactics in MS-DOS and several of
their applications and development tools that, while operating
perfectly when running on genuine MS-DOS (and PC DOS), would break
when run on another vendor's implementation of DOS"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS-DOS#Use_of_undocumented_APIs


Intel's compiler: is crippling the competition acceptable?
http://www.swallowtail.org/naughty-intel.shtml

And only recently after many years (meaning old crippled stuff is
still out there for a long time yet):

FTC settles Intel lawsuit to 'help consumers'
'Disturbing behavior' curbed
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/08/04/ftc_settles_with_intel/