NEWS: Microsoft Announces IE 9 Beta
Microsoft has announced an invitation only event in San Francisco on September 15, to launch the beta of Internet Explorer 9, the newest version of the company’s web browser.
The beta had previously been announced, though no official date was released until this week.
The San Francisco event will focus on the “beauty of the web”, and promote IE 9, which Microsoft hopes will restore it to the top of the browser market.
In an effort to retain its current market base and attract new users away from Firefox and Chrome, Microsoft has reportedly made IE 9 its most compatible and user friendly browser yet.
The company has been extremely tight lipped on details, but some have slipped out:
- Support for HTML 5
- A new JavaScript engine – “Chakra”
- Open and closed source codec support including Google’s WebM video codec
The actual UI for IE 9 is still a closely guarded secret. Rumors have described it as similar to the Windows 7 interface or, possibly, more along the lines of Google’s Chrome.
Interestingly enough, even as Microsoft brings IE into closer alignment with web standards, it is also moving the browser away from one of its own core products – Windows XP.
IE 9 will require Windows Vista or Windows 7 to run.
With over 65% of all Windows based computers still running XP, according to Microsoft’s own numbers, this might seem to be something of a gamble.
However, with the company recently ending support for XP SP 2, and the continued growth of Windows 7, the browser’s lack of XP functionality may not make much difference overall.
Microsoft is clearly hoping that IE 9 will reverse the slow, but steady, decline in its market share. A recent upswing in IE usage may be the first signs that the once mighty browser is on the rebound.
Security concerns connected to Google and browser crashes that plague Firefox may have left the door open for a more user friendly IE 9 to reclaim some of its predecessors’ dominance.
No official date has been announced for the IE 9 final release, though speculation has centered on either the company’s annual Web conference in April or possibly into the fall of 2011.
Microsoft took a full year between beta and official release for IE 8.
About RESCUECOM:
RESCUECOM provides computer repair and computer support, 24/7: Meeting every tech support need including data recovery, virus removal, networking, wireless services, and computer support for all brands of hardware and software. For computer support or information on products, services, or computer repair, visit https://www.rescuecom.com or call 1-800-RESCUE-PC.
For More Information, Contact:
David Milman, CEO
315-882-1100
david@rescuecom.com
Filed under: Internet Explorer, Microsoft, news, Windows 7