Is there a way to force or prompt a user to use the windows 8 desktop browser if they hit my web page with the windows 8 RT browser? I want to be able to use plugins like Silverlight.
Is there a way to force or prompt a user to use the windows 8 desktop browser if they hit my web page with the windows 8 RT browser? I want to be able to use plugins like Silverlight.
Share Improve this question edited Aug 15, 2012 at 16:36 stevebot asked Aug 15, 2012 at 16:18 stevebotstevebot 24.1k35 gold badges132 silver badges184 bronze badges 1- 1 tablet-news./2012/02/02/… states that this might be the case – stevebot Commented Aug 15, 2012 at 16:42
2 Answers
Reset to default 7Yes, you can prompt users to switch to the Desktop version. Microsoft added this as a fallback for sites that need it. (But not with JavaScript)
http://blogs.msdn./b/ie/archive/2012/01/31/web-sites-and-a-plug-in-free-web.aspx
Developers with sites that need plug-ins can use an HTTP header or meta tag to signal Metro style Internet Explorer to prompt the user.
HTTP Header
X-UA-Compatible: requiresActiveX=trueMETA Tag
<meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="requiresActiveX=true" />Metro style IE10 detects these flags, and provides the consumer a one-touch option to switch to IE10 on the desktop:
Microsoft is strongly encouraging us, however, to move to an HTM5 plug-in free world. Whether that happens or not remains to be seen, but it wouldn't surprise me if they made it harder and harder to use plug-ins in the future. They're the source of plenty of security holes.
So long-term, it might be better to start eliminating the use of plug-ins in your code. That makes sense considering the plethora of Android, IOS, and other tablets and phones out there. Cross-platform web development has never been more important than it is now, and I'm betting that will continue to be the trend.
If you design your website so that it is limited to be used in one browser, people might just avoid using it altogether. I know I would, unless it was a website that I HAD to use. i.e. banking website, or something for work.
Perhaps you should make a cross browser friendly website, and for the more enhanced features create an APP?