Microsoft has released the beta for the newest version 9.0 of their
ever-so-popular Internet Explorer browser. The beta has all the features
that will be seen come release, but does not however have the updated
version 9 UI. Version 9 has some important new things about it. For
starters, there is support for HTML 5 and CSS 3, and a new javascript
engine. IE9 also has an "Acid Test" feature that will let you test the
compatibility and compliance of a website with IE9. With IE 9, webpages
perform and feel more like the programs you use every day on your
computer.
Windows Internet Explorer (formerly Microsoft Internet
Explorer; commonly abbreviated to IE), is a series of graphical web
browsers developed by Microsoft and included as part of the Microsoft
Windows line of operating systems starting in 1995. It has been the most
widely used web browser since 1999, attaining a peak of about 95% usage
share during 2002 and 2003 with IE5 and IE6.
For Microsoft, the arrival of IE9 is an attempt to compete more fully
with Mozilla's Firefox, Google's Chrome, and other browsers. Although
various flavors of Internet Explorer are still used for one in three Web
site visits, Microsoft has been losing share for years as rivals have
moved ahead technically.
With IE9, Microsoft is trying to change that, while also bringing more
of Windows 7's capabilities to the browser. The new browser allows users
to pin a Web site to the Windows 7 taskbar, much as a user can do
already with applications. Sites that are pinned in this fashion can
then program "jumplists" that allow surfers to quickly move through
various parts of the Web site.
Internet Explorer 9 Features:
• Hardware-accelerated text, video, and graphics: The new graphic capabilities and improved performance in Internet Explorer 9 set the stage for immersive and rich experiences.
• New Tab page: Internet Explorer 9 surfaces the websites you
love most and puts them one click away. Once you're in the browser, the
New Tab page helps get you started browsing quickly, providing
meaningful suggestions and information to help you decide what to do
next as you browse.
• Notification Bar: Notifications in Internet Explorer 9 allow
for more fluid and faster browsing. Instead of dialog boxes popping up
unexpectedly and getting in your way, all notification messages are
consolidated in the Notification Bar, located at the bottom of the
browser frame.
• Pinned Sites: With Pinned Sites, you can get to your favorite
sites directly from the Windows taskbar—without having to open Internet
Explorer first.
• Tear-off tabs: Tear-off tabs make interacting with multiple
sites fast and intuitive. You can rearrange tabs within Internet
Explorer 9—just like you can rearrange icons in the taskbar in Windows
7—or you can open any tab in a new browser window by dragging that tab
to your desktop.
• Focused on your websites: Designed based on what you use most,
the navigational controls in Internet Explorer 9 are streamlined and
simplified. The back button is larger, the address bar and search box
are combined into one new address bar, and the multiple menus from
previous versions of Internet Explorer are consolidated into a single
menu.
• Cross-site scripting filter: Cross-site scripting attacks are a
leading online threat. Their aim is to exploit vulnerabilities in the
websites you visit. How do they work? By compromising legitimate
websites with malicious content that can capture keystrokes and record
your login information and password. If your login information and
password is captured, your personal data could be compromised.
• Domain highlighting: One way to avoid deceptive websites is to
know the address of the website you're intending to visit. With domain
highlighting, Internet Explorer 9 lets you see the true web address at a
glance by highlighting the domain name in the address bar, making it
easier for you to identify the sites you visit.
