Download IE7 Beta

[Ian]

Microsoft have released the BETA 2 preview of Internet Explorer to the public, which promises some exciting new features (and better CSS/HTML rendering).

Download Link

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.

Read the rest at News.com

 

[ChristopherP]

is it good?

 

[Ian]

I've just downloaded and restart my PC now... I'm not keen on the look at all, I have to say, I really hope they change it.

It looks (visually) like a poor FireFox clone, however the workings of it are better.

I just don't like the look at all Going to stick with it for a few days, perhaps I'm just not used to the change!

Edit:It also doesn't display the left hand menu properly either. I don't think that is my coding as IE6 and FF1.5 are fine with it!

 

[muckshifter]

I strongly advise "normal" users leave IE7 well alone ... Ian, as a webmaster, may want to have a look but for everyone else, give it month or three.

 

[Quadophile]

Ian,

Thanks for the info as well as feedback. I will hold off the installation for now.

Maybe it is a bit early and they will make the changes as well as iron out bugs when they start to get feedback. Besides if people have enabled error reporting and do send the information that would sort out most of the issues, that is if Microsoft is really serious about getting their share back from Firefox.

 

[floppybootstomp]

How long did it take them to realise people like tabbed browsing?

Microsoft - stealing, re-labelling and using today what others thought of yesterday

Having said that, I use IE mostly, sometimes Opera and in Suse, Firefox.

 

[ChristopherP]

I downloaded it... its really poor, the look of it...

 

[Ian]

Guess what... I've uninstalled it already - I really didn't like it at all

As Mucks says, give it a month or two until it comes out for real before you try it out - unless you really want to give it a go for webmaster/dev work, or are curious.

 

[PotGuy]

Wouldn't there be security bugs in it? Microsoft don't patch their current security flaws as it is, so a beta...

i think microsoft thinks that evryone will buy anything from them now. They expected enormous sales of the xbox 360, and never got them.

At this moment in time, nearly 1 billion computers are unable to run Windows Vista, and the major corporations are not keen on putting the extra graphics boards in their machines anytime soon apparently. Microsoft had better watch itself in my opinion.

Im sticking with XP. until linux does games