IE7 Beta Preview
So on January 31st Microsoft finally released a beta preview of Internet Explorer 7, since IE6 has only been MS’ defacto standard for what, 5 years? If you check out the tour, you can check out the new interface and all the features they’ve added that other browsers have had for years. I have to admit, the facelift and added functionality is a nice change of pace, but mostly because now IE looks and functions (at least, superficially) almost exactly like Firefox. Tabbed browsing, multiple search engine search bar, RSS feed discovery, “sleek” “customizable” interface, some level of security, DECENT CSS SUPPORT…these are all features Firefox (and for the most part, Opera and Safari) users have been enjoying for years now, and Microsoft is just now picking up the slack.
Is it going to be enough to win back the market share they’ve lost to alternative browsers (read: Firefox) in the past year or two? We’ll see. Of course, due to the infinitely extensible nature of Firefox, I still know what my browser of choice is.
The next day: I’ve just tried out IE7 on my workstation at work, and yes, it’s still a beta, but I’m pleased to announce that my site is still “Best Viewed With Firefox”. It somehow renders WORSE than it does in IE6.
I don’t say it to be trendy.
