Internet Explorer 9: THE STORY UPTIL NOW

[techvip]

Microsoft could regain the edge over rivals Google and Mozilla Firefox with its new Web browser due to be launched next year. IE9 is months from release, but already it holds the potential to alter the browser market. Not only could it reinvigorate competition with a host of new rivals, it could help usher in the cloud computing era that some of those rivals are eager to embrace. In that era, the Web transforms from a foundation for static documents and Web sites into a foundation for interactive programs.

With IE9, though, Microsoft is trying to rebuild the browser for the Web that’s to come through new standards such as HTML5 and CSS3, updates to Hypertext Markup Language for describing Web pages and Cascading Style Sheets for formatting.

1st developer preview of IE9 was launched on March 16, 2010.

The preview is bare bones and doesn’t have much in terms of user interface. Still, it provides a good glimpse into what we can expect from IE9: a complete reboot. It supports HTML5, the new version of the mark-up language that supports more dynamic webpages, video embedding, and geolocation. Microsoft also focused on adhering to web standards. IE9’s Acid3 test — a measure of how well a web browser follows certain web standards — achieves a score of 55/100. Microsoft also shows off its improved compliance with CSS, including rounded corners (if you’ve ever developed for previous version of IE, this is definitely a sore spot). Microsoft also seems intent on being compatible with CSS3, which is currently under development. However, IE9 will not support Windows XP. But it could prove to be a smart move, as it might help push more people to upgrade to Windows 7.

May 5 2010: 2nd developer preview of IE9 released.

The new preview offers a higher ACID 3 test score, 68 out of 100, and there’s a 117-millisecond improvement in speed according to Webkit.org’s SunSpider benchmark tests. Microsoft didn’t provide exact numbers for context.

More here.

[HappyAndyK]

Microsoft is optimistic that Internet Explorer 9 will arrest the slide in IE's market share. Let us see how it fare's! But there is always this class who is averse to 'anything Internet Explorer' however good it may be

[Max_Payne]

The new preview offers a higher ACID 3 test score, 68 out of 100

However it is always lower than Firefox 3.6 test score (94 out of 100)...

[techvip]

@max : But firefox is comparatively very heavy..

[Max_Payne]

@max : But firefox is comparatively very heavy..

The memory management does the difference, and personally I never had no problem about it with recent releases.

Alternatively, I suggest this interesting firefox-based solution, specifically optimized for current processors:

http://forum.thewindowsclub.com/down...n-browser.html

[LeeW]

I'll be glad to get rid of IE8, I liked IE7 alot better but I stick faithfully with using IE. As far as Firefox the only thing I ever liked that Firefox had was the inbuilt Download Manager. The preview build of IE9 looks promising as a very nice browser, as long as it works better than IE8 I'll continue to keep faithfully using IE

[vasu.jain]

However it is always lower than Firefox 3.6 test score (94 out of 100)...

This is just a second preview built.. and the ACID score significantly improved from first to this one.
I am sure MS would be focusing on this parameter as well while developing the subsequent builds of the Internet Explorer 9.

[techvip]

@max.. : Thanx for the link..