Microsoft offers tabbed browsing--in IE 6

By Paul Festa
Staff Writer, CNET News.com Published: June 8, 2005 5:07 PM PDT

Tools

Related Stories: IE 7 to take a cue from Firefox
May 17, 2005; Microsoft says IE updates possible
November 17, 2004; Piggyback developers in a bind over IE
October 7, 2004; IE gaps that need to be plugged
September 30, 2004

Weeks after promising tabs in its upcoming IE 7 release, Microsoft made the long-awaited browsing feature available for IE 6 through its MSN toolbar.

With the version of MSN Search Toolbar made available Wednesday, IE 6 gains the ability to open numerous Web pages within a single window, each selectable by a small tab at the top of the window.

The feature--long offered by IE competitors like Opera, Safari and Firefox, and by browser shells built to run on top of IE--is one of many that Web surfers have said they missed in the aging IE 6.

IE has not had a major feature upgrade in more than three years. Last month, Microsoft confirmed speculation that it would offer tabbed browsing in the upcoming IE 7.

Microsoft was not immediately available to comment on the new toolbar.

The MSN toolbar tabs for IE 6 were first reported by BetaNews.

Microsoft in November raised the possibility of updating IE 6's features through add-ons like the toolbar, though it disavowed any specific plans to do so.

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Add a Comment (Log in or register) 96 comments (Page 1 of 4)

NO. No no no.
by katamari June 8, 2005 6:01 PM PDT: Absolutely not. This is NOT how you go about implementing a widely-desired feature. You do NOT add it to a Search toolbar extension.

Microsoft, when are you going to learn where to place enhancements in your browser and operating system?!; Reply to this comment View reply
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NO. No no no.
by katamari June 8, 2005 6:01 PM PDT: Absolutely not. This is NOT how you go about implementing a widely-desired feature. You do NOT add it to a Search toolbar extension.

Microsoft, when are you going to learn where to place enhancements in your browser and operating system?!; Reply to this comment View reply
Processing

Still not Firefox
by SvnX June 8, 2005 7:41 PM PDT: I've tested the MSN Toolbar Tabs and it's still in beta as far as I'm concerned. You can't right click on a link and pick 'open in new tab'....

Your still left with tons of ie6 windows open...not tabs. Sorry M$....try again.

Hey...maybe this time you should download firefox and pay attention to how it implements this feature...then copy it! It's not like you havent done it before.; Reply to this comment

Still not Firefox
by SvnX June 8, 2005 7:41 PM PDT: I've tested the MSN Toolbar Tabs and it's still in beta as far as I'm concerned. You can't right click on a link and pick 'open in new tab'....

Your still left with tons of ie6 windows open...not tabs. Sorry M$....try again.

Hey...maybe this time you should download firefox and pay attention to how it implements this feature...then copy it! It's not like you havent done it before.; Reply to this comment

Big deal! Worth a story? Probably not!
by kieranmullen June 8, 2005 8:27 PM PDT: Give me real news please.; Reply to this comment View reply
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Big deal! Worth a story? Probably not!
by kieranmullen June 8, 2005 8:27 PM PDT: Give me real news please.; Reply to this comment View reply
Processing

nice move
by kiruthik June 8, 2005 9:36 PM PDT: Its a good, late move. Anyway its worth a million not a billion. But we are forced to use MSN Toolbar...; Reply to this comment

nice move
by kiruthik June 8, 2005 9:36 PM PDT: Its a good, late move. Anyway its worth a million not a billion. But we are forced to use MSN Toolbar...; Reply to this comment

You can't polish a turd
by Bill Dautrive June 8, 2005 10:32 PM PDT: Until the underlying structure gets completely rebuilt from the ground up, they can polish it all they want, but it is still crap.; Reply to this comment

You can't polish a turd
by Bill Dautrive June 8, 2005 10:32 PM PDT: Until the underlying structure gets completely rebuilt from the ground up, they can polish it all they want, but it is still crap.; Reply to this comment

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Microsoft offers tabbed browsing--in IE 6

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