Internet Explorer 9 is Great, But is it Too Late?

Lance set the context:

Cold milk and apple pie

Microsoft has successfully delivered its best Internet Explorer ever, IE9, but I have this nagging feeling that it may be too late. 

Let me put it another way. Imagine you're having a delicious piece of apple pie and you realize that the only thing that would make it better is an ice-cold glass of milk. Someone goes out for milk, but by the time it arrives, you've already finished your pie, cleaned the plates and left the room. Today, I'm wondering if Internet Explorer 9 is that cold glass of milk.

Lance Ulanoff point to iPad 2:

Blame the iPadWe're entering a "post-PC era," Apple CEO Steve Jobs told a packed auditorium as he unveiled the iPad 2 last month. I was in that audience and thought it a bold statement. Jobs is, however, at least partially correct. Things are changing fast in the PC space. There are still millions of PC users out there, but the activity, excitement, innovation and interest is on mobile devices—devices that don't require a mouse and keyboard. On the other hand, "PC" equals "Personal Computer," and the iPad is clearly a computer and also very personal. 

I suspect, though, that Mr. Jobs was really trying to use "PC" as a synonym for Windows computers. In that case, this all gets more interesting and brings me back to my concern about Internet Explorer. You see, Jobs is right: Windows and the software that runs on it, including Internet Explorer, is becoming less interesting by the minute. 

Lance describes the change from wanting a laptop to wanting a tablet:

"Which tablet should I buy?" is rapidly replacing "Which computer should I buy?" This doesn't mean people aren't buying desktops and laptops, but the commoditization (the move toward roughly equal components with fewer and fewer differentiating features) of those two categories means many people can buy almost any computer without worrying if it will satisfy their computing needs. People no longer want PCs, they often have to have them to get things done. They want tablets. They see them as cool, sexy, fun.  

And goes on with a funny way to describe apps as popcorn:

On tablets they can buy apps like popcorn: popping one after another into their tablet's mouth while only paying 99 cents or less for most of them.

And Ulanoff gives his conclusion:

If Internet Explorer is to remain relevant, it has to be on the iPad 2 (if Apple would allow it) or some other tablet—yes, "IE the App". I urge Microsoft to reconsider, or IE 9 will be the delicious glass of cold milk, left alone in an empty room.

A post from The latest insight and analysis from PCMag's Lance Ulanoff has the original story.