IE 7 Beta 3 Released!

Microsoft has just released Internet Explorer Beta 3 which can be downloaded here.

Microsoft's program manager for browser, Tony Chor, said their number 1 investment and priority for the browser is on security which was belittled in version 6 since a lot of security flaws resulted in cyberattacks that made people's PCs into slaves sending spam and launching attacks on web sites.

It has been almost 5 years since the last full version of internet explorer whose development tanked since Microsoft has already beaten Netscape. Things have changed especially the increased popularity of Mozilla's Firefox whose selling point is it's security strength.

As Chor said: We did not spend a lot of time working on the IE browser for a few years, the increase in security attacks and the threat that our users were under really necessitated a reinvestment in IE...primarily around security.

IE 7 beta 3 boasts of improved reliability, compatibility and hardened security features where the team fixed more than 1,000 bugs from it's previous version.

The browser has been re-architected in some specific areas like redundant codes performing same routines that results in security flaws while some of it's architecture where retained as is.

Despite the effort, some recent flaws that hit IE 6 also affected early releases of IE 7, leading some to question the security level of the new browser.

What were the enhancements made?:

New Look: Cut through the clutter. Simple is good. A redesigned, streamlined interface gives you more of what you need and less of what you don't. The new look maximizes the area of the screen that displays the webpage.

Tabs: Do more by doing less. Open multiple websites in one Internet Explorer window with tabbed browsing. See thumbnail images of all open tabs in a single view. Organize multiple tabs into a single tab group and save it as a favorite.

Printing: Print it right the first time. Internet Explorer 7 automatically shrinks text for improved printing , so all webpage content fits on your final printed page. Print options also include adjustable margins, customizable page layouts, removable headers and footers, and changeable print space.

RSS Feeds: Get news delivered directly to you. Tired of looking for the latest news and information on the web? Internet Explorer 7 can deliver the latest updates from your favorite sites to you. Subscribe to RSS feeds through Internet Explorer 7, and get instant access to personalized sports, news, and shopping feeds that keep you up to date on the latest information online.

Search: Choose multiple search providers. Search the Internet directly from the browser frame using your favorite search provider with the instant search box.
The Internet Explorer 7 inline search feature showing multiple search providers

Security: Put safety first. Robust new Internet Explorer 7 architecture and improved security features help protect you against malicious software, and help to keep your personal data safe from fraudulent websites and online phishing scams.

Microsoft boasts of it's security features which I think will heighten hackers and programmers to come up with codes to undermine these release. It's expected and a necessary evil if we are going to get a better version of IE when it comes out of beta.

[tags]Microsoft, Internet Explorer 7[/tags]

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