Microsoft recently announced of a new version of Internet Explorer, its much-used Web browser. Internet Explorer 6 is almost 4 years old, which is ancient in computer terms. So this new version has been long in coming and fans anxiously awaiting its final delivery.
Internet Explorer 7.0 is now in public beta, which means that you can download it www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/downloads
and try it at your convenience. It also means that this version is still in testing, so it may have some minor bugs and may not yet have all the features that will be available in the final version.
IE 7 finally ads a tabbed interface, which has been available in other browsers for years. The tabs allow you to keep several webpages open at once and to easily switch between them. This new browser version will also have an Orphan Control feature which may “save a lot of trees” by minimizing the number of sheets of paper when printing Web pages. This feature will automatically detect when there are only a few words or lines on the last page and will squeeze that text into the previous page. IE 7 will also have a Shrink to Fit feature that will prevent right margins from being cut off. There is also a zoom feature that lets you make the entire Web page bigger for easier viewing. These features alone will put a smile on the faces of many Interenet Explorer users.
The new Internet Explorer will make using the History and Favorites easier. The final version will also have a Phishing Filter and a new Protected Mode to prevent spyware and malware from hurting you or your computer. The final version of IE 7 will be available sometime this year. It is expected to remain a free download.
Other browser developers are not sitting on the sidelines. Opera 9.0 which is avaialble at www.opera.com is also now in public beta. Opera is a free browser that has been around since 1994 and is very stable. Opera already has tabbed browsing, pop-up blocking, integrated search, and a content blocker. This new version improves all of these featurea and add Widgets which are small programs that float on top of your browser windows. There are already more than fifty available and more are being added everyday. There nifty little programs will let you keep the weather, a clock, calculator, stock prices, the latest headlines, and much, much more within easy viewing.
Firefox, my current browser of choice also has a new version in the oven. Version 2.0 is now in Alpha (pre-beta) testing.
All of these browsers will incorporate more security which is also a blessing for the end users. I have already tried the new versions of Internet Explorer and Opera and both offer better usuability and easier surfing. As these reach mainstream, consumers are sure to be smiling. The biggest challenge may well be which one to choose.
