Microsoft Releases Internet Explorer 9 Beta

Recently, Microsoft released its refreshed build of its Internet Explorer 9 to the Public. It is said that it is more compliment with CSS3, HTML 5, and SVG2 standards and hardware acceleration on the graphics.

Unlike previous versions of IE, IE9 is more compliment with standards. Also with most current browsers, it is filled with HTML 5 features, but it also accessing the GPU to accelerate HTML 5 graphics. Some features like “One Box”, New Tab Functionality, “Pinned sites”, and download manager are added into IE9.

• One Box is a feature that is an address bar but doubles as a search engine, similar to Google Chrome’s single search and address bar. The feature allows for multiple search engines installed on the browser and not just a default search engine.
• The new tab functionality is similar to Google Chrome’s tab functionality. It allows for easy tab snapping in and out of a window without reloading the page when snapping the page out of a window. It also has the functionality to crash a tab and not just the while process when one of the process if not responding. It also has the functionality to go into the task manager and kill a certain tab and not the whole browser.
• Pinned sites is an ability to keep your most used web applications separate of your standard web browsing and lock it in the windows taskbar. Upon taking the tab to the taskbar, the icon of the site will be pulled into the icon on the taskbar to look like an actual program. Also some sites (that Microsoft is partnering with) will support jump lists which makes it looking like an app and lets you view the list of shortcuts when right clicking the icon on the taskbar.
• IE 9 now includes a simple download manager that let you see the recently downloaded files and view the current process of a download as well as pause it. Also download alerts are shown in the browser, not as a pop-up anymore.

In research shown from many sites, its performance was ok, although it does not beats it competitor, Google Chrome. Although its page loads is somewhat faster by a few seconds, its JavaScript and Acid 3 tests show that it stands behind Google Chrome in both tests.

Although IE 9 is a big improvement against its previous version, it is still not the single best; although it has some nice features not in other browsers. It you would like to dive into it, you can download it here.