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The program, still a work in progress, is available for download from the Internet Explorer section of Microsoft's corporate Web site, the company said. The company, which began limited testing in July, had promised to deliver a public beta by the end of March.
"The big update is that it's public," said Margaret Cobb, group product manager for Internet Explorer at Microsoft. "All previous releases were limited."
The latest version works only with Windows XP Service Pack 2 and includes many of the features Microsoft has been touting for months. Among them are new security and privacy protection capabilities such as mechanisms designed to combat phishing attacks, spyware and other threats.
Another new feature lets users clear their browsing history more easily and thus wipe out passwords, form data and cookies in one click, the company said.
The new browser also includes tabbed browsing and a search box on a more streamlined toolbar, concepts that should be familiar to users of Firefox, a rival browser distributed by the Mozilla Foundation.
IE7 beta
Microsoft said that the new Printing Enhancements and Shrink to Fit printing features enable users to adjust margins, change the page layout, remove headers or footers, and increase or decrease the print space.
Tabbed browsing lets users open multiple Web pages in a single browser window. Microsoft has tried to best Firefox with something called Quick Tabs. That feature provides an at-a-glance, thumbnail view of all open tabs in a single window.
In addition, the program is supposed to let users more easily subscribe to syndicated feeds from news and sports sites, blogs and stores. The browser detects feeds enabled by Real Simple Syndication, or RSS, technology, illuminating an icon on the toolbar. Users can preview, subscribe and scan syndicated headlines directly through the browser, Microsoft said.
Video: A look at Internet Explorer 7
Microsoft releases beta of latest browser
IE 7 also includes a number of new features for Web developers, including support for up-and-coming Web-programming technologies known collectively as AJAX.
Microsoft plans to release a final version of IE 7 later this year, around the time the company debuts the next version of its Windows operating system, Windows Vista.
See more CNET content tagged:
Microsoft Internet Explorer 7, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Web browser, Microsoft Corp., printing
I do wonder, from a web developers stand point, does it support at least as many web standards as Firefox and Opera? (Yes I mean that as a real question)
I know they have said they will support the W3C web standards in version 7.x, but is it version 7 or is it planned for a later version.
For me, I will tell you right now that I will not be switching to IE only for any reason. If Microsofts competition falters again IE will once again become stalled and we will end up with IE 7.x for the next 15 years.
From the pictures I've seen the only thing that actually looked interesting was the page preview thingy, but everything else just looked like everyone elses stuff. Same ol' same ol'.
Sincerly,
Citizen Gates & Big Brother Ballmer
Jurassic Park HQ
Redmond, WA.
Because I do web-based content management work all day long, I always try every new browser that comes out... Opera, Firefox, Flock, etc.
I've been a big fan of the tabs, but IE does it the closest to how I'd expect tabs to work.
The thing that's really prevented me from using any of the other browsers long-term, though, is the fact that you can't search inside a form element or textarea. (Apparently coming with Fox2)
If I could see improvements in IE 7, I'd ask for:
- CTRL-PGUP and CTRL-PGDN to change tabs. (Other browsers already have, right?)
- Ability to set CONTROL-N to open a new tab instead of a new window/instance. (Yes, CONTROL-T does this, but I'm set in my ways and will never remember that.)
- Ability to merge tabs into multiple instances back into a single instance of IE.
- Bring back the customizable and standard UI. This new one is ugly. Even though I use Stroke-It ( http://www.tcbmi.com/strokeit/ ) or the Intellimouse buttons for forward and backwards, what genius put stop and home on the complete opposite side of the browser?
http://www.netdive.com/oxygen/download.htm
What makes Oxygen really the best browser are few reasons: one of them is that it has Java native built in, thus eliminating a cumbersome download of Java. It is also light, free from any extras such as email, etc.
The line "which includes support for up-and-coming technology AJAX" seems to suggest that Microsoft is, yet again, late to the party.
There's only one problem with this implication -- it's WRONG. It's a party that Microsoft invented with IE 5.5. AJAX is a genuine Microsoft innovation (though they don't get credit for coining the term). Microsoft didn't steal XMLHttpRequest or copy it from anyone. It originated within the XML and IE teams at Microsoft.
Come on guys, give MSFT a little credit once in a while. This idea that Google or Sun or Apple invents everything in the computing universe is a little tired.
I'll place it on a test machine and see what I think.
Mozilla posts it right on the front page, encouraging development.
MS is still trying to keep things under wraps, while technology and innovation keeps passing them by.
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/default.mspx
a link to the beta can be found right on the front page. No one is trying to keep this under wraps, they just hadn't posted it yet.
The reason it may appear as hard to find is, as the article noted, MS would like developers to run the beta rather then consumers which makes sense.
Sincerely,
Citizen Gates & Big Brother Ballmer
Jurassic Park HQ
Redmond, WA.
For the unenlightened that still use IE, it will give them a taste of the features the rest of us have been enjoying for the past few years.
For the rest of us, it's nothing new.
I used IE at work, Firefox at home. Glad to see that MS has taken some benchmarking leads and made my internet use at work somewhat as pleasant as my home use.
P.S. Has anyone noticed that news.com pages are filled with the solid yellow background for around a half second before text is displayed against the correct white background? Oh what fun...
How big is the program? I've downloaded patches for IE 6 that were bigger than the installation for all of Firefox. That's alot of code for doing basically the same thing.
How flexible is the program? Firefox has a modular design that allows pluggins. IE has the ability to do pluggins to an extent like the google toolbar. I'm waiting to hear on IE 7 on how it is but I'm not expecting much.
One feature I would like to see in IE is the ability to restore it to default settings for everything. That would have been very useful after working on many computers that had the browser corrupted by a malicious website. I don't know if firefox can be restored to original settings by removing and reinstalling it as I haven't had the need yet, but not being tied to the OS does have advantages.
It seems the best thing IE7 has going for it now is that it's still in beta. That atleast give microsoft time to improve it more before full release.
Been there, done that, years ago on better web browsers (Firefox/Safari/Mozilla/etc/etc).
woop-tee-doo Billy "BOB".
can't keep up. Woop tee doo indeed.
standard code then having to hack it to get it to work in IE. Anyone
have any insight here?
I'm curious though to see the final release...
All I am saying is that IE looks as good as Firefox, but without the support, the add-ons, the updates, and the shear flexiblity of it all.
Thanks, but I'll stick with Firefox for now...
Now about this browser from MS, I would think the phishing feature would be really nice, however firefox may have as someone earlier stated have something similar.
I think I will use the old adage, patience is a virtue, and wait to try it. I want to see what people really think of it before I upgrade it. I really like the Firefox open source. I have read not too long ago that open source is many many technologist from all over the world, who develop things for the firefox. I like new things in technology and I like trying them to see if I like them. So I will stay with Firefox and also IE. I have both. Waiting out the beta though as this new browser from IE gets tested. The developers will tell how well it performs. I also get a squeamish feeling when I think about security and what kind of problems that can create.
I am glad to see that MS is in keeping with the industry though. I don't know the reason really why they falter as far as keeping pace with everyone, but I am glad that they do what they do. So... I guess what you can say is different strokes for different folks. I have no beef with MS because it is technology. It is better than I myself could do. There are many things to try, and I learn everyday at least one thing about IT. I'm glad it is there. I like it. I have fun with it and I am always going to use it. You people do a wonderful job out there no matter what field you work in and no matter who you work for. Even if it is for yourself. So thanks to Mozilla, MS, Linux, Gateway, open source, security, and everyone I have not listed. I like all of you.
Now...waiting to see what kind of lowdown this new browser will bring.
I wouldn't say they hate the competition. I noticed that Google stuck it out as my default search option instead of being replaced by MSN... a pleasant surprise.
Strange.
If you are having trouble playing games perhaps you need to loosen up the security settings in FF...or hey, blame IE for allowing websites to creat content that isn't standards compliant...make sure to check with your parents before you do this.
You don't seem to grasp the concept behind browsers such as FF or Opera. They are ment to be standards compliant with a small footprint that allows users to add the functions they want/need as they see fit.
As far as security, I haven't seen any pop-up ads for months. I can block Javascript on questionable sites if I prefer with the NoScript extension. The Adblock extension is fully capable of filtering over 99% of ads on web pages, when it is used in conjunction with the Filterset.G updater extension. Firefox is far more secure than IE, because it is not integrated into the OS. I believe that my computer is more secure because of Firefox---I haven't had any problems with viruses, adware, or spyware in the past three months.
The theme I use on both Firefox and Thunderbird is "Aquatint"---a pleasant silver and blue theme, akin to Apple's color scheme. Now that I'm used to it, I would hate to go back to the bland tan color of IE.
I don't really care about IE7's integration of tabs, because I don't use tabbed browsing that
often on Firefox. Tabbed browsing is over-hyped. What I like about Firefox is the ability to customise the features from hundereds of extensions and themes...Firefox becomes YOUR browser, as you get to customize it any way you choose, to suit your needs or style. For instance, on mine I have a weather program, RSS, and media player integrated right into the browser.
In short, I don't feel that there are any improvements in IE7 that would make switching back from Firefox necessary.
- Should Be Interesting...
- by BlinkMM182 January 31, 2006 7:44 PM PST
- I wonder if we will stats about how many times it's downloaded like the Firefox articles every week. Why do I suspect despite the praise of how Firefox is better, IE7's total downloads surpass FF rather quickly.
- Reply to this comment
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- Fear of Change
- by Michael G. January 31, 2006 8:01 PM PST
- People are afraid of changing something that they've used for so many years, such as IE. It takes courage to change, to try something new. I have no doubt that downloads of IE7 will probably exceed those of Firefox.
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- The difference is ...
- by drhowarddrfine January 31, 2006 11:45 PM PST
- Firefox users are upgrading or switching. IE7 downloaders are looking to see what's new. So far, forum users are immediately uninstalling.
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Showing 1 of 3 pages (136 Comments)Oh the irony.