Why is IE9 geolocation support broken compared to other browsers?

Question

I am creating a map application and noticed that although IE9 supports apo geolocation, it does not calculate latitude / longitude correctly.

Other users have also noticed this http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-IE/ieitprocurrentver/thread/aea4db4e-0720-44fe-a9b8-09917e345080 , but no number of search queries results in any results from developer blogs and other technical readers. which I find freaky no one is testing their geolocation code in IE9 !?

Here is my sample code: https://gist.github.com/1710256

Does anyone know why this would be because it makes the api damn geolocation detection feature almost impossible. In addition, I noticed that the backup (as stated in Paul Irish polyfill) also has the same problems as the original implementation of IE9?

Has anyone else experienced this geolocation issue on IE9?

Any help / advice appreciated.

Answer 1

According to this page, Firefox uses Google Location Services :

How it works?

When you visit a location-based site, Firefox will ask you if you want to share your location.

If you agree, Firefox collects information about the neighboring wireless network of access points and IP addresses of computers. Firefox then sends the information to the default geolocation provider, Google Location Services, to get an estimate of your location. This place rating is then shared with the requesting website.

And according to this page, Internet Explorer (rather predictably) uses Microsoft Location Services:

If you allow, Internet Explorer will approximate your location using the Microsoft location service

The difference in the specified location will be due to differences in the underlying databases, for example, a Google database can display a WiFi point or an IP address that Microsoft does not have (or vice versa).

I cannot find information about changing the location provider for IE, and although Firefox does have provisions for alternative providers, I cannot see at this point how to change it.

Please note that for me, Internet Explorer really more accurately reports my location (both browsers change correctly, but in IE the error radius is about 10 miles, and in Firefox about 20 miles).