back to article Internet Explorer 9 preview thinks inside box, outside browser

Microsoft released a seventh preview build of Internet Explorer 9 yesterday. It comes just three weeks after the last iteration of the test versions of Redmond's upcoming browser. The software giant normally releases an update every two months. "Over the last few weeks, we’ve been tuning the JavaScript engine for more of the …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    FAIL

    So why should I care Microsoft?

    As Opera is way more secure, more fully featured, more compliant (across the FULL range of standards, not just your cherrypicked ones) and faster...

    Thanks but no thanks.

    1. dogged
      FAIL

      Relevance

      Your response has none.

      I care about MS's browser because many users will use it. Quite a lot more than will use Opera, if past performance is anything to go by.

      So you don't care about IE9 - fine, don't read the article.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Like the "So what?" type comments...

      can't someone resolve to ban these inane utterances that are guaranteed to pop up when discussing anything other than Opera? Pretty please?

  2. Paolo 1
    Coat

    Irony, we've heard of it...

    I find it deeply amsuing that Microsoft spent so many years trying to intertwine the browser and OS only to get slapped with an anti-trust lawsuit and now the big focus of all browser is to intertwine browser and OS...

    Just me? Ok...

    1. Lewis Mettler 1
      Stop

      intertwined or commingled?

      In the US commingled is clearly illegal. Microsoft even appealed that specific issue to the US Supreme Court and that court said it remains illegal.

      Strange that both the US DOJ and the EC Commission want all consumers to be forced to continue to purchase IE without exception. Seeing a ballot screen after Microsoft gets your cash is meaningless.

      Do you really think a developer exists anywhere that does not understand the importance of forceing everyone to actually purchase your product? If you claim so, you must be lying.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Can't think of a title. Idle ramblings, perhaps..?

        It isn't all that strange that the DOJ and EU allow this to continue, after all, Linux distros are allowed to bundle shed loads of browsers and apps etc, Apple are allowed to bundle Safari and there own tools. Both the DOJ and EU are not, as we all know, immune from a certain measure of bias, stupidity or hypocracy.

        Microsoft are much more wary these days - after all, they don't bundle all the Live Essentials tools, or their free AV software.

        It's all become a bit of a moot point these days, as most end users don't actually care whether they use FF, Opera or IE. What they care about is 'DOES IT WORK?' You're right, the ballot screen was meaningless - most end users don't want to mess about installing alternative browsers and are happy to stick with the dish in front of them. Many Mac users stick to Safari for this reason too.

        In light of what most end-users want, rather than the over-hyped rants of some devs and geeks, surely Microsoft taking IE development seriously can only be a good thing?

        1. CD001

          Ummm

          ----

          In light of what most end-users want, rather than the over-hyped rants of some devs and geeks, surely Microsoft taking IE development seriously can only be a good thing?

          ----

          Ummmm, I'm an over-hyped ranting dev AND I think that MS developing IE is a good thing - already with IE8 I can write one lump of code and have it work across every browser with only very minor tweaks for IE (for instance IE attaches the Event to the Window not the Element to which you've attached the Event (logic has never been a strong point with IE) - which buggers up the context of 'this')...

          ... if, however, I need to backport to even IE 7 it normally means I need to write a whole different set of JavaScript and CSS libraries if nothing else. Don't talk to me about IE 6 (we've even got a few machines still running 5.5 here).

  3. Raumkraut

    Direct URL shortcuts

    "Enabling users to pin websites to the Windows taskbar means that users can go directly to sites without having to launch the browser and navigate," said Hachamovitch.

    Haven't we been able to do that for over a decade, using URL shortcuts? I'm pretty sure I remember them on Windows '98 (possibly even '95), and I'm almost certain you could drag such shortcuts to the taskbar quick-launch area, for exactly the experience this Hamsammich fella is describing...

    1. Pandy06269

      Yeah

      I think the point is that they can become buttons on the actual task bar (correct me if I'm wrong but I'm sure IE 9 will only run on Vista/7 - or maybe just 7) and 7 has no quick launch any more.

      Instead you pin an app to the task bar (essentially the same thing, it's just quick launch and the taskbar have merged so both your shortcuts/pinned apps and running apps are intertwined in the same area.)

    2. Alien Doctor 1.1

      Off-topic - but...

      One of the features touted on Win7 was the ability to tile open windows, this was going to be a killer feature. I'm sure I can remember that from Win1/2/or3 back when I worked for Unisys in the 80's.

      I guess it's true, what goes around comes around.

  4. TeeCee Gold badge
    Grenade

    "Enabling users to pin websites to the Windows taskbar...."

    Ooooohhhh! Desktop url shortcuts, now available to clag up the bar at the bottom too.

    Er.......meh.

    1. Tom 35

      IE9

      Now with the features of IE6 on XP!

  5. Colin Guthrie
    FAIL

    Sunspider cheating

    I'm surprised an article about IE9 today does not cover the "sunspider cheat" controversy of yesterday.....

    1. dogged
      Thumb Down

      probably

      because it was bogus.

    2. Kelly Fiveash (Written by Reg staff)

      Re: Sunspider cheating

      That's because it was a "slashdotted flamebait troll story" not worthy of our attention.

      1. dogged
        Boffin

        Re: Sunspider cheating

        The only interesting thing about that story was the matter of exactly why somebody hates MS enough to publicly lie about their products and falsely accuse them of cheating in order to discredit their browser.

        And who that somebody could be, of course. There's a few candidates in this thread, I guess.

      2. Alien Doctor 1.1
        WTF?

        I wonder...

        I wonder how many "members" on the auspicious Register fora post as AC's on /. and how many of that subset are Fark and/or 4chan posters?

        ;)

  6. M Gale

    I've said this before...

    ..Chrome-like? So it'll run on Mac OS X and Linux?

    Windows XP?

    So much for interoperability, then.

    1. CD001

      What difference does that make?

      Really? IF IE9 is as standards compliant as it promises to be WHAT difference does it make if it doesn't run on any other OS? See - if it's standards compliant every other OS can use a DIFFERENT web browser and achieve the same results!

      ... that's kinda the point.

      By Chrome-like they are, I believe, merely referring to the UI... perhaps inadvertently an adherence to standards.

  7. Lewis Mettler 1
    Stop

    why review it if you have to purchase it?

    What purpose can possibly be served if you are required to purchase it?

    There is no decision to be made until after Microsoft gets your money.

    If you work for Microsoft there is nothing to be gained by any review of the product. Everyone must purchase it anyway. Regardless of what it does.

    If you were forced to buy my handburgers each lunch day, would you want it reviewed here? Or, anywhere?

    If you were forced to buy a uniform for daily wear, why have it reviewed?

    If you have a copy of IE, your opinion simply does not count. Microsoft illegally prevents it. So why even talk about it?

    If you are raped do you really care hoqw good the sex was? Apparently some Microsoft supporters think so. But, then they are just paid to comment as if they were a consumer.

    You do not think so?

    Why discuss anything for which no decision can be made?

    1. Ammaross Danan
      FAIL

      Just can't tell

      So, if MS doesn't ship a browser with their OS, and you install a fresh-off-the-shelf copy of Windows, how are you expected to browse the internet for a browser to install? Chicken-and-Egg sorta situation I would think. You really want to be forced to find an AOL disk at your local retailer just so you can have a browser to download FF/Opera? Before anyone says that you can use Windows Explorer to surf the internet, that's using IE, so no. If you truly don't want to see IE on your computer to to "Programs and Features" and uncheck the IE8 box. Of course, most computer users don't even know that Control Panel exists, so we can't rightly assume they'll know to to check the box if they wanted to use IE. Another question: Does OSX allow you to remove Safari? Does Safari come pre-installed and set up as the default browser? MS is no different. KDE uses Konquerer in its UI. Is that unfair to FF? No.

      And as other people are sure to mention, reviewing IE9 is important because, unlike the "poor me" crowd, some of us can actually make a decision and install alternate browsers if we deem them better/easier, and may not care about the 5-10MB of disk space IE takes. If you want to complain about something, complain about why you can't buy a PC at a small discount if you opt NOT to have Windows pre-loaded. Then you may have a point, rather than a pointless, ignorant rant.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Thumb Down

      why do you have a problem?

      Replace the word Microsoft with the word Apple and IE with Safari and how is this any different? End users expect a browser to come as standard with an OS. Seeing as they wrote the OS why shouldn't they be allowed to include their own browser

  8. bob's hamster

    What purpose can possibly be served if you are required to purchase it?

    Even though you have to buy it, doesn't mean you have to use it. It's reviewed so you can decide whether to use an alternative or not.

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Up

    Does anyone ever try byfore they slate???

    To pin the link to the desktop will let you do more than just be a shortcut, for example, copy facebook on there then right click on it, you will see more than just a delete and properties options.

    If web designers use this feature as facebook has, you could have countless different posibilities, but then hey, anyone slating MS wont listen to reason so i dont know why i bother.

    But i like it, it works, its quick, thank you very much MS

  10. dssf

    Chakra? For a sec, my mind went spinning

    So, Chakra is causing a new sensation, right after IE9's 6th release caused a stir. But, can IE 9 do "the swirl"? Will it reach epic, tantric-saspanda proportions?

  11. Atonnis
    Unhappy

    Previously...

    ...I tried a previous iteration of IE9 a few weeks back.

    So far I found that

    1. My links bar disappeared - which is FAR easier and more convenient than putting stuff on my already VERY busy taskbar.

    2. Tabs are in line with the address bar? I want to type in addresses and have a good 8 tabs open at a time, I go to search engines when I want to search so I *NEVER* want to search from an address bar (as I don't want every little typo sent off as traffic).

    3. I'm not exaggerating when I say at least 60% of sites I visited didn't work properly, or at all. Text rendering was the biggest fault, with awful 'crushing-up'.

    4. My settings reset sneakily and I had to go into my options and carefully reset them to protect myself from unwanted scanning of where I go, what I do and who I talk to.

    I've liked previous IE iterations (up to a point) but so far I'm very unimpressed.

  12. frymaster

    not the beta

    the IE9 beta has only had one release; that's the one that has multiple tabs, bookmarks, has the taskbar docking etc.

    the platform preview is what's had its seventh release. That's just the renderer in a window; you have to go file>open to even open a URL.

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Down

    Microsoft High IQ responses....

    "Over the last few weeks, we’ve been tuning the JavaScript engine for more of the patterns we’ve found in real world sites,"

    Hmmmmm so you mean that they have been building and tuning for Microsoft only sites, and then enlarged upon this a little?

  14. JamesKay
    Happy

    Remember this?

    Describing *IE8*, Microsoft have this page - http://www.microsoft.com/windows/internet-explorer/compare/mythbusting.aspx

    Myth #1: Internet Explorer is much slower than Firefox and Chrome.

    Myth #2: Internet Explorer is less secure than Firefox.

    Myth #3: Firefox is a richer, more adaptable browser than Internet Explorer.

    Myth #4: Internet Explorer doesn't play well with Web standards.

    :-)

  15. Anonymous Coward
    Gates Halo

    knockers

    "What purpose can possibly be served if you are required to purchase it?

    There is no decision to be made until after Microsoft gets your money."

    Hands up all those who use Windows and purchased Google Chrome? Firefox? Opera? If you did, you got done, because they are free.

    The whole point for MS producing a decent browser is to get people to use it - same as the logic behind those other browsers. And if people use it, you have a direct route to those users to promote your online services, or integrate closely with other software you produce.

    I use Firefox myself, but I don't understand why the same people who for years have knocked MS for sitting on their monopoly laurels and failing to keep up with web standards are now busy bashing MS for putting a lot of development dollars into building a better, and apparently very standards-compliant browser.

    It is surely a good thing that the browser market is being moved forward by all four of the major browser vendors. You've never had this level of choice or quality. Let's hope it stays like this.

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