Microsoft unveils IE9 public preview

Microsoft today unveiled a public sneak peek of its newest browser, Internet Explorer 9 (IE9), aimed at Web developers and the technically brave of heart.

"The Platform Preview, and the feedback loop it is part of, marks a major change from previous IE releases," said Dean Hachamovich, the browser team's general manager, in a statement issued today before he took the stage at MIX10, Microsoft's Web developer conference, to publicly launch IE9.

Hachamovich promised that Microsoft would update the IE9 preview about every eight weeks, putting the first such update in mid-May with another to follow in mid-July. He did not, however, disclose a release schedule for the successor to 2009's IE8, the browser bundled with Windows 7 .

IE 9 Platform Preview is far from polished, or even finished, Microsoft acknowledged, which is why it has slapped the moniker on the release, a first for IE.

"While it loads and renders Web pages using the Internet Explorer 9 platform, it is not designed to be a complete Web browser," Microsoft said in a fact sheet that accompanied the preview's announcement. "This build is simply a first look at the work Microsoft has done so far and is ready to share with its developer community."

Missing from the browser are critical user navigation tools such as the address bar, as well as security features like the SmartScreen anti-malware filter and IE8's private-browsing mechanism.

To give Web site designers, application developers, and others who want to track the new browser's progress a chance to try IE9, Microsoft has created what it called a "Test Drive" site that showcases the features and enhancements included in the preview.

Sorry but you’re just BSing yourself now.

There is no fanatic like a Microsoft-hating open source fanatic. I meet crazies like you on tech boards all the time. Trying to make any sense of anything people like you say, is a complete waste of time.

“I hate IE8 because it’s a piece of crap,”

I have used IE8 for much, much longer than you have. I use it every day for several hours, and have been using it for over 2 years, so I know what am talking about. You simply DON'T!

” wouldn’t matter which company made it.”

Yeah..and Saddam Hussein is still partying every night in downtown Baghdad too.

” Lie to yourself if you must, but reality is what reality is, and reality that IE8 sucks”

You wouldn't know reality if it it you right between the eyes.
IE8 is one of the best browsers out there right now, and I am speaking from personal experience.

You know what?
You'd better prepare yourself for a long, nasty fight on this one, cause you are not going to be allowed to get away with your FUD and propaganda on this matter. Not if I can help it.

You’re so unintentionally funny. Exactly which open source browser do I worship? Quote me. Go ahead. See you assume that because I don’t like IE8 I worship open source and am anti-MS, but we all know about ass-u-me don’t we.

I’m sure you have used IE8 more than me, I learned to avoid pain growing up and IE8 is a pain. I keep IE6 on the machines I don’t have to have 8 on, it’s not great but at least it stays out of my way. That’s my primary problem with 8, it’s always trying to help, and like most apps that spend a lot of time trying to help it just gets in the way.

I’m not fighting at all. And every time you get nasty you just prove yourself wrong. People with facts on their side don’t need to get nasty, ad hominems are for losers. I haven’t spread any FUD or propaganda, I’m simply pointing out how and why IE8 annoys me. And no amount of silly insults from Mr Assume will change that.

See you assume that because I don’t like IE8 I worship open source and am anti-MS, but we all know about ass-u-me don’t we

Are you for real?
You have the gall to whine, after coming here and accusing me of “worshiping” IE8, just because I use IE 8 and think its an excellent browser. Then you turn around and whine because I turned your own nonsense back at you?
Don't make me luagh.

“I’m sure you have used IE8 more than me, I learned to avoid pain growing up and IE8 is a pain”

Naaah. You love pain. You wouldn't be out here spweing out garbage that you can't even defend and getting hammered, if you dodn’t like pain.

“ That’s my primary problem with 8, it’s always trying to help, and like most apps that spend a lot of time trying to help it just gets in the way.”

WTH heck you babbling on about?
IE8 is never obtrusively “trying to help” with anything at any time, when you are browsing. There is a “help” button for you if you are new to the browser, but then you gotta actually to click on help, before you get help. That's it.
You have no idea what the heck you are talking about do you?

“People with facts on their side don’t need to get nasty, ad hominems are for losers”

You are yet to provide even ONE real fact about any IE8 shortcomings. All we've been getting from you are mindless attacks with certain stock words that you have picked up from other internet sites.
Give me a call when you actually come up with anythng tangible will ya?

It’s not just because you say it’s excellent, it’s the anger you’re aiming at someone for daring to not like IE8 that shows you worship it. Were you maintaining a calm civil tone it would be different.

You haven’t put me in a position to have to defend anything I’ve said. I said why I didn’t like IE8 and all of your posts since then have been personal attacks. If you want me to defend what I said then go after WHAT I SAID not me.

The first thing that comes up after you install IE8 is the annoying “tour” dialog, that’s obtrusively trying to help. Then there’s the “enhanced security warning” (because mine is turned off), more obtrusively trying to help. Of course if you turn on enhanced security then you’ve got that monster to deal with, all but cripples the app obtrusively trying to help.

There’s some real facts.

It’s not just because you say it’s excellent,

I say it's excellent because it IS excellent. I should know after over 2 years of constant use. You on the other hand, have hardly used it, yet presume to pass yourself off as an expert on something you know very little about.

” it’s the anger you’re aiming at someone for daring to not like IE8 that shows you worship it.”

Oh rubbish!
You started off by accusing anyone who actually thinks IE 8 is great, as “worhsipping it”. After that, of course you got the same thing you were giving. Stop whinning already.

” Were you maintaining a calm civil tone it would be different.”

I give calm civil tone when I am addressing calm civil people. When I am addressing some anti-Microsoft jihadist, I don't use calm civil tones. I usually fire at will.

You haven’t put me in a position to have to defend anything I’ve said.

You haven't said anything worth spit so far. You have spewed out talking points you picked up from the internet, with nothing to back it up.

“I said why I didn’t like IE8 and all of your posts since then have been personal attacks.”

you gave a list of open source anti-IE8 talking points, not even a single one of which I found to be true from MY own extensive personal experience with the product. I proceeded to let you know my experience with IE8 was the exact opposite of yours.

“If you want me to defend what I said then go after WHAT I SAID not me.”

I have. In post after post. Go back to the start of the thread.

I followed your advice and went back to the start of the thread. Here’s you “going after what I said”:
open source crazies are usually quick to spew out anti-Microsoft garbage
Don’t you use Alisnki rules on me
I still don’t even have the slightest interest in getting in getting to know you whatsoever.
There is no fanatic like a Microsoft-hating open source fanatic.
You wouldn’t know reality if it it you right between the eyes.
You’d better prepare yourself for a long, nasty fight on this one
You wouldn’t be out here spweing out garbage
You have no idea what the heck you are talking about do you?
something you know very little about.
anti-Microsoft jihadist,
You haven’t said anything worth spit so far.

Yup, all personal attacks all the time. Nothing but ad hominems.

The first thing that comes up after you install IE8 is the annoying “tour” dialog,”

Ummm..you DON'T even have to use that tour dailogue. There is a very clearly marked option to skip it, and it happens just once after you've installed it the first time, in case you don't know how to use it. After you've set your own home page, that dialogue goes away. Your earlier statements made it look like dialgues keep popping up on IE8 all the time. THEY DON'T!

” that’s obtrusively trying to help.”,/i>

It's ONCE afer first installation, and, you can skip it. You DON'T have to take any tour.

“Then there’s the “enhanced security warning” (because mine is turned off),”

Security warning for what?
I have only seen security warnings when a file download is being attempted or a program is being installed. Of course you need security warnings for that, to prevent rogue programs from installing secretly when you visit certain sites. It's not an issue.

” more obtrusively trying to help.”

It's not trying to “help” Its warning you that a program is being installed, so do you approve or not?

” Of course if you turn on enhanced security then you’ve got that monster to deal with, all but cripples the app obtrusively trying to help.”

Chortle!
I go through whole weeks with ZERO obtrusiveness from IE8. Unless you are someone that installs plenty of new programs every day, or someone that visits porn sites that constantly try to secretly download garbage on your computer, you won't even know IE is there. It just works nicely and smoothly, does its work and stays in the background and lets your enjoy great web surfing.

“I don’t know anyone who actually uses IE8 and doesn’t like it.”

I use IE8 and like it. I use it a lot, and have no problem with it. It is only smart, of course, to use firewall, antivirus etc with any browser. Mine protect me.

A friend of mine who is quite knowledgeable, just got a new ‘puter with Windows 7. He likes it a lot. I still use XP, and avoided Vista last year when I bought a new one. My friend says Windows 7 has not given him a problem in loading software.

No you don’t have to use the tour dialog, but you have to get the stupid popup. I suppose if you’re only running one or two computers it’s not that big a thing. I run a lab of 25 computers, not including my desktop and home machines, each of which have at least 6 primary disk images, I saw that stupid popup close to 200 times in a two week span, it gets really annoying after about 50.

This enhanced security warning:
“Caution: Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration is not enabled
Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration is an option that is provided in Windows Server 2003 operating systems and above. You can use it to quickly enhance Internet Explorer security settings for all users.

When you enable Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration, it sets Internet Explorer security settings to limit how users browse Internet and intranet Web sites. This reduces the exposure of your server to Web sites that might pose a security risk. For more information, including the complete list of changes that are implemented by Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration, see Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration overview.

To enable IE ESC for all users

Close all instances of Internet Explorer.
Click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Server Manager.
If a User Account Control dialog box appears, click Continue.
Under Security Summary, click Configure IE ESC.
Under Administrators, click On (Recommended).
Under Users, click On (Recommended).
Click OK.
To disable IE ESC, click Off for both Administrators and Users, and then click OK. “

That comes up on startup of IE on 2008 and R2 machines where I’ve turned off the annoying enhanced security. Because if you don’t turn off enhanced security you have to deal with that Trusted site popup with every website you go to, for every website they might embed from. Even the Windows Update site in an exercise in pain when enhanced security is turned on.

Of course that security warning you mention SHOULDN’T be necessary and is only necessary because IE is hotwired too tightly to the OS so it can install rogue programs without the user’s knowledge. Were IE actually a good browser nothing could ever be installed secretly.

Then of course there’s the fact that IE8 continues the tradition of IE being the slowest browser out there:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/firefox-chrome-opera,2558.html

Sorry but reality has spoken, IE8 just plain blows.

Windows 7 is awesome. I’m getting ready to add the harddrive at home to setup the dual boot with XP, which if they’d done the smart thing and included XP in the 7 upgrade path I wouldn’t have to do. I do get to play with 7 (technically mostly 2008R2 which is really Windows 7 server) at work and like it. Skipping Vista is always a good plan.

But IE8 is just annoying. Continues the tradition of making previous IEs seem good. I now like having IE6 on machines that don’t have to have 8, I remember back when 6 came out we all tried to avoid it because it stunk so bad, 2 versions of IE later we protect our installs of 6. I’m sure by the time 10 comes out I’ll be hoarding my IE8 machines.

Probably around the time IE10 comes out, historically it takes 2 new versions of IE to make an old version seem not that bad. Of course unless they reverse that trend IE will never be my primary browser, I use it only for stuff that I must, IE only sites like Windows Update and work related stuff. Of course with the newest version of stuff at work we’re going browser agnostic, so that’ll cut down on how much IE I have to tolerate.

That boot plan would depend largely on the computer’s BIOS and how willing it is to boot from an external drive. The primary advantage of dual-boot in this scenario is a sense of security. I have a 100% functioning XP install with all my apps cruising fine, my research says everything I use SHOULD work with 7, so once I go through all the installs everything should be fine. But in case something doesn’t go fine and/ or until I do the necessary installs I’ll have the functioning XP install I can boot into.

No you don’t have to use the tour dialog, but you have to get the stupid popup.

Chortle!
The only thing is..there is simply no popup dialog for an IE8 tour after you've completed your install. The IE8 tour comes up within the body of IE8 right after you install IE8, as a welcome screen, and again, you can just skip it. You don't have a clue what the heck you are talking about do you?
That's probably the 6th wrong statement you have made about IE8 already. You are merely cutting and pasting garbage from some web site or the other, about a product you have probably never used, but then are trying to pass yourself off as an expert on.
Look, you are not the first faker or liar to appear on FR to opush an agenda, and you won't be the last either, but save us your BS will ya?

“I suppose if you’re only running one or two computers it’s not that big a thing. I run a lab of 25 computers, not including my desktop and home machines,”

Yeah...and I am Mother Theresa too. If you really run 25 computers, you'd know that there are plenty of ways where you can customize your IE8 or any Windows installation to suit your own particular needs. For example, you can disable Internet Explorer 8 welcome screen for all users if you want:

http://www.winhelponline.com/blog/disable-ie8-tour-welcome-screen-runonce-all-users/
More from MSDN:

http://blogs.msdn.com/akshayns/archive/2009/08/19/how-to-disable-internet-explorer-8-welcome-screen-for-all-users.aspx

Of course that security warning you mention SHOULDN’T be necessary

ROFL!
Given that most viruses and trojans infect a computer through some download or the other, a good browser needs to warn you about any and all file downloads, to prevent you from downloading malware onto your compute rand. I find that essential to keeping my computer sdafe. That is why I haven't had any viruses on my Vista or Win 7 computer for YEARS.

” is only necessary because IE is hotwired too tightly to the OS so it can install rogue programs without the user’s knowledge.”

Just keep that rubbish coming will ya? The more you talk, the more you expose your ignorance.
Do you want me to give you a list of security holes in the Firefox browser from CNET?

“Then of course there’s the fact that IE8 continues the tradition of IE being the slowest browser out there:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/firefox-chrome-opera,2558.html";
Sorry but reality has spoken, IE8 just plain blows.

Yeah?
Now why don't we look at the real facts eh?

NSS Labs Browser Security Testing:

http://nsslabs.com/test-reports/NSSLabs_Q12010_BrowserSEM_Summ_FINAL.pdf
:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/internet-explorer/videos.aspx?mname=IE8_Perf_Test2
IE8 blows alright..it blows the competition right out of the water, with plenty left over to go have a cigar..

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.