Microsoft hopes 7 is lucky number for IE

The browser is back.

Some 18 months after Bill Gates pledged to revamp Internet Explorer, Microsoft is ready with the final production version of IE 7. The new Web browser, which has been in testing for months, is now available for download from Microsoft's Web site.

On the feature side, Microsoft is playing catch-up in many areas. It has added support for Web standards, RSS Web feeds and tabbed browsing. The new browser also offers protection against phishing sites--malicious Web sites designed to trick users into handing over their personal information.

After months of ceding market share to Firefox, Microsoft has gained back a bit, according to the most recent statistics from OneStat. IE now has 85.9 percent of the market, an increase of 2.8 percentage points since July. Firefox has 11.5 percent of the market, down 1.4 percentage points compared with July. The Mozilla Foundation is getting closer to the launch of its own revamp, Firefox 2, which has hit the "release candidate" stage.

Chris Beard, vice president of products for Mozilla, said that Mozilla expects to release the final version 2 of Firefox late this month or early next month. As for IE 7, he said that his organization sees a lot in IE 7 that other modern browsers have had for a while. "We're continuing on our path of how can we continue to improve upon the experience," Beard said.

Video: Internet Explorer 7 for Windows XP SP2
Microsoft updates Web browser

Microsoft is encouraging even Firefox users to install the IE update, promising them that it won't make IE the default browser--or even ask them if they want to switch. "There are advantages to having it there, even if you are not a daily user," said Gary Schare, Microsoft's director of IE product management.

Earlier, on Wednesday, Yahoo made available its own custom version of IE 7, which sports Yahoo as the default search engine, Yahoo home pages and a Yahoo toolbar.

Arrival schedule
Those who have been beta testing IE7 will begin receiving the final version via automatic updates this week. Microsoft plans to push down IE7 via automatic update to IE6 users starting next month, though they will get to decide whether they want to install it.

Microsoft has also offered a tool for businesses that lets them indefinitely block users from getting automatically updated to IE7. Schare declined to say how many businesses have downloaded the tool.

Although Microsoft will begin making the browser available through Automatic Update next month, it could take many more weeks to get the application to all PCs in the United States. The software maker is staggering the release, in part to make sure it can handle the support calls. It will make free phone support available, as it has done since the Beta 2 version of IE 7 was introduced in April.

The software maker has primarily been touting the security enhancements that come as part of the new browser. However, Schare said anecdotally, the most popular feature among beta testers has been improved printing of Web pages.

Schare said Microsoft started focusing on trying to make the browser more secure when it updated IE as part of Windows XP Service Pack 2.

"That certainly helped a lot--clearly not enough," Schare said. "We're not done. We've already started thinking about the next one."

Schare said the company is in the planning stages for another update, which is likely some 18 months out. Among the features Microsoft will consider adding are things that it wanted to include this time around, but opted against. Among the features in that camp are a download manager and improved searching within the current Web page.

It will also likely need more security improvements, though it is hard to say at this point what those changes will need to be. With SP2, the focus was on malicious software, while IE 7 is largely focused on social threats.

"We don't yet know what the next one is," Schare said.

It remains to be seen whether that update will come as part of an update to Windows Vista or on its own. "It may line up," Schare said. "It may not. We're willing to have it not line up."

Rivals are not standing still either. The new version of Mozilla adds, among other things, its own anti-phishing abilities, which were co-developed with Google. Beard said Firefox is looking to improve further its lead on patching holes. Already, he said, Mozilla's patches are released in "days, not weeks or months," Beard said. "With (version) two, we're looking to make that hours or minutes."

[georgiarat]

Why Switch?

Why should a satisfied Firefox user switch to IE7? Why should
we put up with Microsoft pushing ISV's and others to develop
web sites that will only work with IE? Do we trust Microsoft has
got it right this time on security? Do we trust Microsoft not to
use the browser this time to time users to its OS? Do we trust
Microsoft not to have the browser send info back to Microsoft on
the OS and applications on your machine?

If the answer is Yes to all of the above then go ahead and switch.
Until I see definitive proof that all of the above is No then I say
NO THANKS!!

[CancerMan2]

Because Of MS Bootlicker Sites

MS bootlicker sites like Cinemanow only work with IE. Cinemanow proudly states:

"You must use Internet Explorer Version 6 or higher on a PC running Windows 2000 or later to use this service."


Movielink is only licking one MS boot:

"Sorry, but in order to enjoy the Movielink service you must use Internet Explorer 5.0 (or higher) or Mozilla/Firefox with an IE Tab Extension (IE installation required)."

[KTLA_knew]

Why switch indeed?

"Why should a satisfied Firefox user switch to IE7?"

A satisfied user of IE, FF, Opera, or Mosaic for that matter shouldn't switch at all. What a silly question.

It can help to have more than one browser installed for a number of reasons, but that doesn't really address your question.

[Hardrada]

ppl won't

I guess ppl won't switch from their current browser to IE7. But i think most of the IE6 users who were just about to switch to FF/Opera will switch to IE7 because of the *little* improvements over IE6 and websites that will work only in IE.

In a few weeks there will be FF 2.0 and Opera 9.1 (with additional phishing support). The race keeps getting interesting. Microsoft is way behind in the race (dragging a whole lot of users).

[Lindy01]

I never switched

from IE6 to FF. I use alot of sites that use ASP. IE6 worked perfectly fine for me.

After XP sp2 with its firewall....and Google Bar I stopped getting pop-ups and spyware.

IE7 is my next step....and I think MS did a great job on it.

[Pie4Weebl]

who's saying to switch

I'm not switching back from FF, but I think it certainly doesn't hurt to update from 6 to 7, even if you don't use it. In the article it seems MS suggests that as well. All of these responses just seem to be the typical "we hate Ms because they are the market share holders" group.

[umbrae]

Not a matter of switching...

I use FF exclusively and will never go back to IE. However, as with all MS products, IE is hooked heavily in the OS. This means that ANYONE running Windows really needs to update IE. IE7 does include some attempts at improving security, and since some applications ONLY use IE when they inface between the Internet and Windows (like Steam or Windows help, etc.) it is important to have those updates.

That said, I would encourage everyone to wait a few months before upgrading to IE7. Just to make sure the bugs are removed. However, after that better to upgrade even if you don't use it. That is the true curse of windows: too much is interdependant on the operation of the OS.

[cnutsucks]

Woohoo! M$ adds 1999 technology to 2006 browser

Way to add old technology and call it "new" in the
http://www.teckmagazine.com/tutorials/tutorials/adobe-photoshop-style-layer-tutorial-1-indiana-jones-logo.html
latest version of Internet Exploiter.

[Penguinisto]

Well, that didn't take long - IE7's 1st exploit:

http://secunia.com/advisories/22477/

"Internet Explorer 7 "mhtml:" Redirection Information Disclosure"

[Bill Clinton Fan]

Frefox Fanboys Abound..

If Firefox fanboys could install a virus on every computer to stop people from installing IE7, they would.. That is the sign of an evil, sick mind..

[t8]

Innovation

Wow tabs and next time round a download manager.
What will they think of next.

I hope the tabs come in that MSN butterfly colour and flap like wings.

:)

[tipper_gore]

butterfly

If on top of everything else (such as the tabs oh God the tabs) it includes the MSN butterfly, well, that would just be too good to be true so I'm not even going to hope for it.

[georgiarat]

Then Don't Show There!

If those sites are the reason to switch and you can't find an
alternative and you can't do without the product then switch.
Something tells me there are alternatives to most of them.

[jbenton1]

The new IE is the new Nscape browser. SLOW

I have just downloaded and used the new IE 7 on some major sites like Sci/fi, cnn.com and etc. I knew this was going to happen. I have waited for nothing. If you have ever used F Fox you know if you go to such a site it keeps the site in it and loads it faster the next time. Beside that the way FF loads pages; starting with text and background, it is already fast. MS has done nothing to improve IE's speed.

[Sumatra-Bosch]

EXACTLY! You can't help but notice if you've used Firefox!

It was strange. I thought something was wrong with the my desktop but I had the same response with the laptops and the office machine.

The thing is a pathetic pig.

Baller can run all over town biting people on the face, but it's not going to fix this pig.

[Sumatra-Bosch]

It Works at 1/4th the Speed of Firefox - PATHETIC!

Anyone who switches from Firefox to IE7 was simply too slow on the boss key to hide his Firefox browser from his supervisor at Microsoft's Redmond campus.

If Vista is 1/10th as pathetic as IE7, Microsoft is complete and utter toast.

Hilarious! All the resources in the world! All the money in the world! The best Microsoft can do is produce a Junior Achievement imitation of Firefox that works at 1/4th the speed.

Ballmer can run out onto Route 520, howling, cursing and head butting buses but it won't change the fact that Microsoft isn't even competent enough to produce a browser that wouldn't embarass a CS undergrad after 5 years - 20 quarters! - of alleged development.

I dunno what's funnier, IE7 or the fact that they could only produce a sad, simpering imitation of an iPod that they figured out how to sell at a $50 loss.

I am waiting for Microsoft to announce they're introducing a $7 bottle opener that they're selling at a $9 loss after 10 years of development.

"Yeah, we're bad, man, we're bad. We are gonna OWN the bottle opener market in 25 years, you just wait and see," bus-butting Ballmer will announce in an CNET interview.

[durlabhm]

Its Simply AWESOME

Sumatra Bosch's comment is not only abusive but makes utter fun of perhaps one of the most respected IT companies in the world. Well I have been using IE7 from beta-1 days and let me tell you guys this: Its amazing.
Every one has a right to voice their opinion but to say something derogatory abt a personality of the stature of Mr Ballmer, Well my dear friend its highly uncalled for and I can only pity u and feel sorry for you. You, Pls do not use IE, and go back to other stinking thing ( whatever it was ) and let the other 90% of the world carry on with their business.
thanks.

[Bill Clinton Fan]

Aha! That's why Firefox has tht crazy memory leak

C'mon, Fanboy .. back off. As for the IPOD, let's hope at least they don't put "Windows" virueses in them A-LA Apple LOL....

Pathetic....

[ngngokkiu]

I was asked to switch!!

"Microsoft is encouraging even Firefox users to install the IE update, promising them that it won't make IE the default browser--or even ask them if they want to switch."?!

The very first dialog box that appeared after I installed IE7 asked me to switch!!

[Sumatra-Bosch]

Shocking! MS Lied?!

It's almost as shocking as the bad house manners of the Mansons!

[finman65]

Me too

I was going to add a comment to that affect as well. I updated a PC from RC1 to the final release and the "IE is not the default browser" dialog popped up.

[richard mitnick]

default?

Not mine.

[mattumanu]

not what I hoped for

This thing isn't IE anymore. It's an uncomfortable mix of IE, Firefox and opera. Yuck!

[DrakeLS]

IE7 is an improvement

IE7 may not be the holy saviour that you'd like it to be, but if you are using IE6 (like me), it's a great upgrade.

I was never really a fan of tabs (nor a detractor), but I do enjoy them now that I decided to install IE7.

And for those of you saying that it is slower and uses more memory than FireFox, I don't find this to be true. If you search on "firefox memory consumption" using google, you will see that the truth of the matter is that it is FireFox with the memory problems. Also, I'm not seeing any increase or decrease in speeds using IE7 from IE6.

Finally, the increased attention to security and the extra features certainly make it worthwhile to install a free product.

I think most of you are just MS haters that jump on each and every MS story here.

For the common person, this is a must-install item - for simply the upgraded security alone.

For those with FireFox or whatever else, great - keep you browsers - nothing wrong with good competition - but since you need to have IE installed anyways for updates, may as well get the extra security IE7 brings.

I'm enjoying this upgrade, and I think the majority that use MS products simply because they need to work (and are not geeks like us) would think this is a good upgrade also.

MS bashers will always give MS products a bad review, no matter how good the product. MS is damned if they do, damned if they don't.

This is a good product. Not the best, but still very good.

[bemenaker]

It's a good step

It is nice to see MS take a major step back towards standards compliance. Let's all sit back and be amused as everyone scrambles to de-IE only their sites now.

I am happy to see IE make some big strides in the right direction, though I think MS needs to totally sandbox IE under XP like they are with Vista, otherwise, I have little faith in the security updates. Look at just how pathetically bad IE 6 is STILL to this day.

This isn't enough to make me lift my directive at my company, that only FF is allowed on the internet, but it does make me happy that MS is coming back to standards.

[Sboston]

Yup!

Well said. I agree with most of your post. While I normally use FF for my browsing I've found IE7 to be a must needed upgrade to the MS browser.

[boccork]

Removed it after 2 minutes

I had to remove this after two minutes....which as about 5 times shorter than it took me to install it.

Firstly it insisted ona restarting the PC but hung everything so restarting wouldn't work.
Then the interface is terrible. The print etc buttons are now removed from the back and forward and are not in the usual place and it does not seem to be possible to move them. The icons are huge and can't be reduced. And the sam applies to the tab pages. Why do they have to be so big?

The main problem though is that whenever I tried to oben a tab the browser crashed because it didn't like some other toolbars I had loaded. These all worked fine with IE6 even with Yahoos Toolbar which implements tabbed browsing effectively. Why Yahoo can implement tabbed browsing on Internet Explorer but Microsfot can't is beyond me.

I switched back to IE6 again.

If Microsoft force me to upgrade again then I'll have no choice but to switch to Firefox because of the working tabbed browsing on that browser.

[gerry.campkin]

Uninstall

Hopeless! It puts up a 'run once' Microsoft page when first opening V7 which cannot be accessed. Setting a different home page doesn't help - it always goes back to the run once page. How do you uninstall V7 and get back to V6?

Gerry

[ASTRO6]

It's horrid!

The beta version of this thing almost ruined my entire operating system when I tried to remove it from my computer. Microsoft you know whats! I will never use Internet Explorer again after using Firefox and Opera. Even on a DSL connection, IE loads like dialup. The absolute worst browser out there and it should be retired...FOR GOOD!!!

[rcrusoe]

IE7 is just another "me too" MS app

IE7 may be more secure than IE6, but its interface is clunky compared to FF, Opera, Safari, etc.

My main machine is a Mac so I've been using FF and Safari exclusively for over two years, doing online banking, investing, purchasing, etc. and haven't found a single site that requires IE.

In fact, Windows Update is the only site I can think of that we use IE for at work.

For the clueless masses that still use IE, this will probably be an upgrade. For everyone else, it will be a non-event.

[mattumanu]

If only...

I might consider using it if you could go back to the classic view. It comes with the menu bar missing by default and there's no way to move the various taskbars around. This thing is a joke.

[cary1]

I love it, but will have to wait....

IE 7 is pretty good and I specially liked the page zoom and quick tabs features.... but I will have to keep IE6 for some time... I have to make sure my websites look fine in older version too

[Thomas, David]

HAR-DEE-HAR-HAR

The ONLY thing MS is accomplishing is ammo for a class-action
lawsuit. This comment might seem far-fetched (it did to me
when I first realized i was thinking about it), but all you have to
do is open your eyes, just a tiny bit.

MS has continously used their browser to drive a wedge deep
into the internet community. Sooner or later, people are going
to begin to realize that being FORCED to use MS, as a direct
result of IE only supporteed sites, ISN'T such a benign
occurrence.

[richard mitnick]

IE7

I ran the RC as my default on my home machine and my work machine for 2 weeks.

It is a nice breath of fresh air, but it is not going to win back any Firefox users. Tabbed browsing is clutzy (see Walt Mossberg Personal technology in today's Wall Street Journal).

I needed Roboform's paid version to bring user id and password storage up to Firefox' level.

BTW anyone with KB912812 from April o6, will not be able to run the install, as there is an ActiveX control error in that hotfix KB912945 will fix the error in KB912812, which prevents the "runonce" page from running and forces the browser to close

[wbenton]

Even after 7 tries... the best they can do is HOPE???

What ever happened to the 3 strikes you're out...

Oh... that's right... Microsoft changed the rules on that one too.

Microsoft has been WAY WAY WAY past recovery stage for quite a few years now... but they still continue to think they've got something.

All I can say is it shows how stupid they are!

There's nothing to luck when it comes to poor browser design... which Microsoft has repeatedly provided for the past 6 times.

IE is a has been... always has been... always will be.

NetScape v2.0 was much better than IE v6.x ever was.

Walt

[curtegg]

lol, within 24 hours found a security hole

IE 7 is still susceptable to phishing sites

[escaport]

Link

http://secunia.com/advisories/22477/

[Georgia in MS]

IE 7 not working on some sites

I've been using IE 7 for about a month now. The only problem I have is that you get an error message for some sites.

My Yahoo home page has main headings that you can click on and go straight to it, while the subheadings underneath give me this message

"Sorry, Forbidden.
You don't have permission to access this URL on this server.
Please check the URL for proper spelling and capitalization. If you're having trouble locating a destination on Yahoo!, try visiting the Yahoo! home page or look through a list of Yahoo!'s online services. "

Contacted Yahoo and they said they did not support IE 7 at this time.... ummm basically you're on your own!!! I also have this problem sometimes when I Google.

I can step over to my laptop with IE6 and click on those same subheadings and it goes straight to the article.

I don't understand the workings of URLs working with a particular browser. Is this something I need to just be patient about?

[cary1]

a lot of websites 'screen' the browsers

specially the ones who use a lot of Javascript or CSS.. they have to write different code for each browser. and redirect people based on the browser (including different versions of the same browser) they are using... that's why you might be getting the error message

[plantmage]

Installed and doesn't work

I'm I the first that has installed IE 7 and it doesn't work. Click the program icon, and IE 7 flashes on the screen and then disappears so fast I can just make out area boxes of IE 7.

[Commander_Spock]

I have Just "Installed and"....

... it appears to be working well in this case. I trust you have passed the required legitimate "WINDOWS VALIDATION" that was prompted for. HUH! How about that.

[addepalli_arun]

Simple Fix

To all IE7 users,

just plug and pray!! Since 7 is a lucky number your prayers will be surely heard this time.

From,
your friendly Neighborhood MS

[revstar]

IE7s tabbed browsing sucks

I've been using IE6 with the MSN toolbar that includes tabbed browsing for about 2 years and have never had a problem with it.

On EXIT from IE7 an idiotic dialogue box comes up asking if you wish to open these tabs next time.

OF BLOODY COURSE YOU DO!!!!!

Why else would you take the time and aggro to set them up in the first place? Because you just love wasting time doing it all over again?

This might not be a problem, except when the browser crashes, which IE7 did twice in the first evening I used it. No Exit dialogue, no tabs.

How incredibly stupid.

[pentium4forever]

Open tabs warn before closing whole browser

Of course it warns you if your sure you want to close open tabs! Firefox has this too and it's enabled by default. There's a setting in FF that lets you turn off warn before closing open tabs. By default it is checked. I actually prefer it to warn me, I mean if I accidentally close the browser I'm warned and I can avoid accidentally closing everything down!

[lketchum12]

What users need to know...!

CNET Editors, take note:

In the days before Internet Explorer 4 was released, and long before the anti-trust nonsense that was brought against Microsoft, nearly all of you and every other pundit heralded not just IE 4, but the use of any form of COM/RMI as the second coming, or better... - a little more on COM and RMI in a second...

Microsoft, with IE 4, ahead of IE 5 in Windows 98 and the heat that came out of that, pulled way ahead of any browser - and you know that - don't make me link to the editorials and media files that prove it, either - just listen up!

COM/RMI - or the means to support Remote Methods, like Java RMI, CORBA, and yes, ActiveX were all the rage. ActiveX, designed to be signed and safe, was abused. IE 6 in XP SP2 fixed that!
So to say that no progress was made on IE in five years is rubbish. Safely supporting such powerful distributed tools was only one part of the magic under the hood in XP SP2!

Largely due to the flak the planet fired at Microsoft over its browser - tied to the OS because so much leveraged COM - Component Object Model development, techniques, the company made very powerful tools available to all parties to continue to add features to IE.

Features like tabbed browsing, RSS feed readers, etc... were built in the hundreds by third parties and years before Firefox gained wide support.

After taking another drubbing by pundits and lay users sucked into your vortex of online vomit, the company carved IE 7 out of Vista and created a version for XP SP2.

That version preserves all that is in the environment for COM/RMI and adds the best support for emerging Web 2.0 and later technologies.

If you fine editors don't stop confusing people with your pseudo intellectual BS, I am going to have to add you to a growing list of people we are taking to task with new online information that will challenge each of you to support what you write.

I am tired of the spin and the softballs you continue to hand out to anyone willing to buy into your line.

There is a science out here and a record and it does not support what you are saying.

[imacpwr]

Re: What users need to know...!

Isn't cnet owned by The National Enquirer..? Well, they sure write
like they do..

[Jenny3426]

What Users Need To Know

I completely agree with this post. Only have a couple of comments to add. Much of the negative that I'm reading here consists of single users who want everything set up their way. Who cares what anyone else wants or what benefits the greater number of users. One post spoke the praises of Yahoo toolbars. I installed those toolbars one time recently. My virus program immediately flagged 12 instances of spyware traced directly to those toolbars and the website. Poor choice fella. Another comment was by a Mac user who pretends to be able to evaluate MS products. That's a joke. Using a Mac makes a person's judgement of anything else suspect to me. Have a great evening everyone.

[adlyb1]

Bravo!

It's time people spoke from knowledge, not emotion and I commend you for tasking them on it.