Larry's columns appear on CBSNews.com and are available for syndication to newspapers and other websites

 

Microsoft Releases Beta Test of Internet Explorer

by Larry Magid

January 31, 2006

 

It’s still in the testing stage, but Microsoft has released a beta version of Internet Explorer 7.0 for anyone who cares to try it out.  The company is calling it a release “for developers” but after playing with it for a couple of  hours, it strikes me that’s it’s pretty close to being ready for prime time. 

 

Still, as with any beta test software, users are on their own if something goes wrong. Microsoft has an ominous warning that “… the software should not be used on production systems in mission-critical environments.”

 

The first thing I noticed about the new version is that it has tabbed browsing, just like Mozilla Firefox and several other browsers. Tabs allow you to have more than one web site open at a time with the ability to quickly jump back and forth.  Previous versions of Internet Explorer allow you have multiple windows open with different websites, but tabs are more convenient.  A nice touch that’s not in Firefox is “Quick Tabs” that presents a thumbnail view of all the individuals tabs so you can quickly figure out where you want to go.

 

Microsoft has added more privacy and security features including the abiity to block “phishing sites” (rouge sites that attempt to fool you into providing personal information). I.E. 7.0 also lets you quickly clear your tracks by making it easier to remove your browsing history, cookies, passwords and other personal data. Firefox 1.50 has a more convenient version of this feature that makes it easier to delete just the type of information you want and preserve what you don’t want to delete.

 

The company has also streamlined the interface with smaller icons and less wasted space. There is also a search bar where you get to chose your own search engine (they don't force you to use their own MSN Search) and there is support for RSS feeds to let you subscribe to web pages, podcasts and other content.

 

 

If you wish to learn more download a copy, click here to go to Microsoft’s I.E. 7 Preview Page.