IE 7 beta released for download [Archive]

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angelneo

Jan 31, 2006, 11:28 PM

Just saw on Cnet news, that IE7 is available for download, well, I must say it is basically a combination of all the features in Opera, firefox and safari...

link (http://news.com.com/Microsoft+releases+IE+7+beta+to+public/2100-1032_3-6033116.html?tag=nefd.top)
linkety (http://news.com.com/1606-2_3-6033554.html?part=rss&tag=6033554&subj=news)

EDIT: btw, is that you Onizuka on the Cnet comments section?

Bern

Jan 31, 2006, 11:52 PM

Er... it's for Windows XP not Mac :rolleyes:

Platform

Feb 1, 2006, 02:44 AM

Er... it's for Windows XP not Mac :rolleyes:

Yup....and also you say it is FF, Opera and Safari together :p .....going a bit far eh ;)

homerjward

Feb 1, 2006, 02:50 AM

anyone know why its now called "windows internet explorer?"

it seems like....ie6 with tabs and a a ripoff of an ugly firefox skin. it's a little bit easier, and tabs are nice, but it's still got all the annoyances of ie...at least the scrolling is fixable now by turning off smooth scrolling (i couldnt find this in ie6?) though, and i like being able to hide the file, edit, etc menus and show them by hitting "alt" but that may be a bug--the installation process was buggy enough. it took me 5 tries and borrowing some dll files from a friend to get it installed...
i somehow expected this to be the end-all be-all of web browsers...maybe because it took 5 years to release :rolleyes:

ill stick to firefox, and see if the final release is any better.

ipacmm

Feb 1, 2006, 08:57 AM

From that picture it looks like Microsoft does what it does best which is copying other companies design and features....but I guess it is good that MS is finally updating IE.

MattG

Feb 1, 2006, 09:19 AM

Yeah, it's a rip off...but it's definitely an improvement.

I kind of like the "home page tabs" feature.

angelneo

Feb 1, 2006, 12:07 PM

Actually what I worry about the most is the css standard in this version of IE. I really hope they can do something about that. So far I read that it has improved it's support for AJAX which is good news.

raggedjimmi

Feb 1, 2006, 01:50 PM

I'll give this a whirl laters, then again it is beta. I can understand the value of testing a product but a beta product on a beta OS? just asking for security threats.

Stella

Feb 2, 2006, 07:10 AM

Microsoft still aren't going to implement CSS to anywhere near the functionality that Opera, Webkit and Gecko provide.

Until it does, IE will always be holding back the internet.

Chundles

Feb 2, 2006, 07:52 AM

anyone know why its now called "windows internet explorer?"

Cause it's only for Windows. Microsoft don't make a version of IE anymore that runs on any other OS.

Same deal with the new Messenger. They got rid of the "MSN" part and is now "Microsoft Messanger" cause MSN is no longer supported on all OSesess.

evilgEEk

Feb 3, 2006, 02:41 AM

Anyone know if IE 7 will include RSS support?

raggedjimmi

Feb 3, 2006, 09:17 AM

Anyone know if IE 7 will include RSS support?

I don't know for sure but I am pretty confident it does (or will). for a browser to not support RSS now, no matter how few people use it, is application suicide.

ldburroughs

Feb 3, 2006, 10:01 AM

Anyone know if IE 7 will include RSS support?

It does. It has a nice zooming feature (from Opera), tabs (firefox, et al), and several other long overdue additions. The look is much sleeker than the previous version which is very refreshing. As for functionality, it works like any other browser. I've tried firefox, netscape, and opera on the pc platform (safari on mac) and ie7 is no better/worse than any of the competition. For me, I like the integration with the operating system while most others hate it for whatever reason. People who use Safari on macs (myself included) do it because it is easy and works well. The same holds true for those who use ie but there are simply more dissenters. Most hate ie because it is Microsoft. Some complain about security flaws. Well, it's no wonder it is so heavily targeted. The argument is the same for XP in terms of its target audience. The more people who use it, the greater potential there is to do damage. Stop visiting porn sites and opening suspicious e-mails if you want to avoid viruses. Abstinence is the best form of protection:) I've been using ie and windows on my pcs since there were pcs and I've NEVER had a single virus on any computer. It's not that hard to avoid them.

If Apple ever gets a footing in the industry sufficient enough to challenge Microsoft for its operating system there will be some serious issues that will need to be dealt with. The whole monopoly thing Microsoft has been dealing with since its inception will be many times worse for Apple, especially since they only work on their own machines. Certainly if Microsoft made its own computers there would be fewer issues. It wouldn't be as difficult to make things stable in a controlled environment. Only time will tell. For now, ie7 on a pc is at least a promising alternative to the tired wannabes. I just want it to get the job done and ie has been doing it (without any class or sophistication) very well in deed.

If you have a pc in addition to your mac, I recommend giving the beta version a shot. I've had absolutely no problems so far and the extra features (although long overdue) are fantastic.

Now, if Microsoft would consider supporting it on the mac platform ... kidding!

kwajo.com

Feb 3, 2006, 10:26 AM

i think the biggest news from IE7 IMO is the support for transparent PNGs. I have no idea why they didn't fully support these before, but I heard they will be supported in IE7, which will make my job easier for sure

kwajo.com

Feb 3, 2006, 10:31 AM

cwedl

Feb 3, 2006, 10:34 AM

Hehe

LOOK HERE (http://news.zdnet.co.uk/internet/0,39020369,39250154,00.htm)

angelneo

Feb 6, 2006, 02:26 AM

Hehe

LOOK HERE (http://news.zdnet.co.uk/internet/0,39020369,39250154,00.htm)
Well, well, looks like it is still some way off before coming off beta

BakedBeans

Feb 6, 2006, 03:19 AM

Microsft - Innovation defined

ibook30

Feb 6, 2006, 10:39 AM

Hehe

LOOK HERE (http://news.zdnet.co.uk/internet/0,39020369,39250154,00.htm)

Good to know before I go try this on one of my windows boxes...

I haven't used IE in two years on those machines, perhaps it will be two more.

bugfaceuk

Feb 6, 2006, 11:52 AM

Yeah, it's a rip off...but it's definitely an improvement.

I kind of like the "home page tabs" feature.

Same kind of comment, it's a rip off, but the "Tabs light-box" feature is very very nice.

As an aside, it exactly how I felt looking at Vista, it's a rip off, but it has some very nice unique features in there too.

Fear the dark-side.

bugfaceuk

Feb 6, 2006, 11:54 AM

bugfaceuk

Feb 6, 2006, 11:55 AM

wow, I just tried installing the Beta and it stops you for Windows validation?? geez Microsoft, it's just a web browser install, lay off. I have a purchased copy for Virtual PC, but that doesn't mean I want to have to do internet activation for everything I do :rolleyes:

It's not just a browser, it's a core OS component... hehe... that's why it's sooooo secure, the attach surface is tiny... Hang on. That's wrong. Strike that. Switch it around.

mac-er

Feb 7, 2006, 07:21 AM

Hehe

LOOK HERE (http://news.zdnet.co.uk/internet/0,39020369,39250154,00.htm)

Ummm....it's a BETA. The point of a beta is widespread testing to find the bugs.

At least MS doesn't release beta products under the impression that they are first release like another company we know.

I love Apple, but if this was Apple, this IE beta release would be be IE version 1.

mkrishnan

Feb 7, 2006, 07:42 AM

Did they adopt the best feature of Firefox -- no support for embedded ActiveX? ;)

jdechko

Feb 7, 2006, 11:32 AM

I just downloaded it and was going to install it. The freaking piece of software wants to validate my copy of windows. Now this isn't a problem because its all legal, but it pisses me off. :mad: Will post back with my thoughts later.

iMeowbot

Feb 7, 2006, 11:38 AM

It sure is pokey in this incarnation. I do hope that it's only instrumentation getting in the way and not a sign of what's to come.

jdechko

Feb 7, 2006, 11:49 AM

Ok, so after playing with it for a few minutes, I've uninstalled it. Here's my list of things that I like and dislike.

Things I like:
It handles RSS feeds better than Firefox does. (Firefox does it via Live Bookmarking)
I like the Add-Ons (Similar to extensions, but not as good).

Things I don't like:
Can't move the navigation tool bar.
Didn't thing tabs were implemented as well as in Firefox.
Search bar seemed too much; didn't want to set google as the default search.

I also don't care for the "home page tabs". It seems to go against the idea of the "home page". Firefox allows you to bookmark pages in groups and select the option to open them in tabs.

All in all, the 5 minutes I spent with IE7 (plus installation/uninstallation and 2 reboots) makes me that much more greatful for Firefox.