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.Play in a more beautiful web. The improvements to Internet Explorer are as much about what you don't see as what you do see. Internet Explorer 9 has a streamlined design, fewer dialog boxes to click through, more intuitive navigation, and many new features that speed up your web browsing experience.
Additionally, this new browser is programmed to use your GPU much better: IE9 uses your computer's GPU to enhance hardware scalable vector graphics (SVG), javascript performance, and HTML5 performance. Which is a great thing, considering the natural, slow development of more and more graphic intensive websites as the WWW matures.
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.
You should consider downloading the Internet Explorer 9 Beta if all of the following apply to you:
• You like to use the latest software and enjoy experimenting with new technology.
• You feel comfortable troubleshooting computer problems yourself.
• You don't mind updating software frequently.
You might want to wait for the final release of Internet Explorer 9 Beta if either of the following apply to you:
• You prefer to install software once, and don't want to mess with it again.
• You get frustrated if software doesn't always behave as you expect it to.
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.
Internet Explorer 9 requires Windows 7 (x86 or x64) or Windows Vista SP2 (x86 or x64).You should consider downloading the Internet Explorer 9 Beta if all of the following apply to you:
• You like to use the latest software and enjoy experimenting with new technology.
• You feel comfortable troubleshooting computer problems yourself.
• You don't mind updating software frequently.
You might want to wait for the final release of Internet Explorer 9 Beta if either of the following apply to you:
• You prefer to install software once, and don't want to mess with it again.
• You get frustrated if software doesn't always behave as you expect it to.
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.
Download for Windows 7 x64
Download for Windows Vista x86
Download for Windows Vista x64
The fastest