Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) Beta - Now Available

Play in a more beautiful web

The improvements to Internet Explorer are as much about what you don't see as what you do see.

Internet Explorer 9 has a streamlined design, fewer dialog boxes to click through, more intuitive navigation, and many new features that speed up your web browsing experience.

Features like Pinned Sites let you pin your favorite website directly to the taskbar for one-click access. Other features, like hardware acceleration, deliver an all-around faster browsing experience.

With IE 9, webpages perform and feel more like the programs you use every day on your computer.

You should consider downloading the Internet Explorer 9 Beta if all of the following apply to you:
· You like to use the latest software and enjoy experimenting with new technology.
· You feel comfortable troubleshooting computer problems yourself.
· You don't mind updating software frequently.

You might want to wait for the final release of Internet Explorer 9 Beta if either of the following apply to you:
· You prefer to install software once, and don't want to mess with it again.
· You get frustrated if software doesn't always behave as you expect it to.

Here are some key features of "Internet Explorer 9":

Hardware-accelerated text, video, and graphics:
· The new graphic capabilities and improved performance in Internet Explorer 9 set the stage for immersive and rich experiences.

New Tab page:
· Internet Explorer 9 surfaces the websites you love most and puts them one click away. Once you're in the browser, the New Tab page helps get you started browsing quickly, providing meaningful suggestions and information to help you decide what to do next as you browse.

Notification Bar:
· Notifications in Internet Explorer 9 allow for more fluid and faster browsing. Instead of dialog boxes popping up unexpectedly and getting in your way, all notification messages are consolidated in the Notification Bar, located at the bottom of the browser frame.

Pinned Sites:
· With Pinned Sites, you can get to your favorite sites directly from the Windows taskbar—without having to open Internet Explorer first.

Tear-off tabs:
· Tear-off tabs make interacting with multiple sites fast and intuitive. You can rearrange tabs within Internet Explorer 9—just like you can rearrange icons in the taskbar in Windows 7—or you can open any tab in a new browser window by dragging that tab to your desktop.

Focused on your websites:
· Designed based on what you use most, the navigational controls in Internet Explorer 9 are streamlined and simplified. The back button is larger, the address bar and search box are combined into one new address bar, and the multiple menus from previous versions of Internet Explorer are consolidated into a single menu.

Cross-site scripting filter:
· Cross-site scripting attacks are a leading online threat. Their aim is to exploit vulnerabilities in the websites you visit. How do they work? By compromising legitimate websites with malicious content that can capture keystrokes and record your login information and password. If your login information and password is captured, your personal data could be compromised.

Domain highlighting:
· One way to avoid deceptive websites is to know the address of the website you're intending to visit. With domain highlighting, Internet Explorer 9 lets you see the true web address at a glance by highlighting the domain name in the address bar, making it easier for you to identify the sites you visit.

Requirements:

· Computer with a 233 megahertz (MHz) processor or higher (Pentium processor recommended)
· Windows Vista 32-bit – 512 megabytes (MB)
· Windows Vista 64-bit – 512 MB
· Windows 7 32-bit – 512 MB
· Windows 7 64-bit – 512 MB
· Windows Server 2008 32-bit – 512 MB
· Windows Server 2008 64-bit – 512 MB
· Windows Server 2008 R2 64-bit – 512 MB
· Windows Vista 32-bit – 70 MB
· Windows Vista 64-bit – 120 MB
· Windows 7 32-bit – 70 MB
· Windows 7 64-bit – 120 MB
· Windows Server 2008 32-bit – 150 MB
· Windows Server 2008 64-bit – 200 MB
· Super VGA (800 x 600) or higher-resolution monitor with 256 colors
· Modem or Internet connection
· Microsoft Mouse, Microsoft IntelliMouse, or compatible pointing device

What's New in This Release: [ read full changelog ]

· Web Platform
Features Available:
· DOMException objects
· Thrown by various DOM APIs according to the W3C DOM specs and HTML5.
· “Constant” properties of the W3C DOM Standards
· DOM constructor objects and prototypes now include the “const” properties described in the W3C specs
· Updated DOM prototype hierarchy
· Changes align IE9 standards mode with W3C standards, and include the addition of the “Node” object (and others described in DOM L2 Core), as well as changes and revisions to Node-derived objects such as “Comment”.
· Note that the “HTMLDocument” constructor object has been removed as per the current HTML5 draft standard.

· Features Partially Implemented
· Canvas
· globalCompositeOperation
· The latest Platform Preview does not include support for the globalCompositeOperation attribute.
· DOM Exceptions
· The latest Platform Preview does not include support for Canvas 2D Context DOM Exceptions.
· drawFocusRing()
· The latest Platform Preview does not include support for the dra...

Details:

[B]http://www.softpedia.com/get/Internet/Browsers/Internet-Explorer-9.shtml[/B]

Code (markup):

News Source:

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Download-Internet-Explorer-9-IE9-Beta-156589.shtml

Code (markup):

Download:

http://www.softpedia.com/progDownload/Internet-Explorer-9-Download-154695.html

Code (markup):

 

Overview of Tweets and articles so far today:

1) Web developers are disappointed in that IE9 beta is missing functions that were available in the platform preview
2) It's where all the other browsers were two years ago
3) Other browsers have moved on from Microsoft's target already
4) Incomplete support for SVG and buggy CSS3 selectors
5) They seem to have wanted to please the users but not make developers happy

From ArsTechnica:

 

drhowarddrine: I was 100% sure that you will come & will respond something like this lol

 

Of course. People would rather know the truth than what they learn from advertising as in the OP.

 

Tried it, and although it looks nice it always crashes when I start it...

 

Chrome is still the best, no matter it is IE10 or IE100.

 

drhowarddrfine You must have read some Apple Fans reviews. Have you tried it? Its awesome and much faster than FF. It looks great and so far haven't crashed once for me. Don't listen to what other people say. Try IE 9. Its really awesome. Microsoft has come par with FF and Chrome. Although its still slower than Chrome but its just a Beta I think by the time they'll release IE 9 it will be quicker.

It works well in Windows 7. I don't know about Vista.

 

I think Firefox still the best choice for web developer/designer, but I agree Firefox slower and consume more resources than Opera or Chrome

 

Being Firefox and Chrome User! I had a New Experience with IE9 Beta Version! Waiting For Final!

 

Does anyone Compare IE9 Beta with Firefox,Opera and Chrome?

 

@maxgates - Have you seen ArsTechnica and CNET Reviews? It's slower than every other browser.

Absolutely false and it just goes to show you haven't read any reviews looked at what the developers on Twitter are saying. And these aren't just any people. Paul Irish for starters.

The famous excuse for all IE betas and releases. It never gets better. And the other browsers continue to move ahead. See my earlier link.

It only works in Windows7 and Vista (and Windows Server 2008). Nowhere else.

As I posted earlier, and over a year ago, IE9 continues its legacy as the worst browser on the planet. At least two years behind all other browsers in modern standards and practices.

 

More proof that no one on DP ever reads earlier posts.

 

Going to download and check it out now. Will post a review however I dont think it will be better then chrome or firefox.

 

Seems ok, but it crashed on first opening lol

 

It's not OK. It's a 2-year old browser that's not born yet (still in beta). All the other browsers have moved on.

 

I am really waiting for IE9, hope it beats chrome.

 

IE9 has got some nice improvements in speed and interface but I still think Chrome is the best.

 

I hope Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) Beta is better than other browsers .

 

IE 9 definitely has some nice improvements. I have a brief description here, how does it differ:
http://blog.mellowhost.com/first-impression-on-windows-7.html

Though, it was the starting experience, I am still working on more benchmarking. I wouldn't say, it is totally beating everyone in overall rating, but it is definitely back in business.

 

FF is my first choice, Google Chrome second ...................... and IE last.