Posted on 10/18/2006 9:32:00 PM PDT by Eagle9
Microsoft on Wednesday launched the first major update to Internet Explorer in five years, and posted the new browser for Windows XP to a download site.
IE 7, which has was announced in February 2005 by chairman Bill Gates, has been touted by the company as a significant update in the areas of security and usability. The interface has been streamlined and tabs have been added to compete with rivals such as Mozilla's Firefox and Opera's flagship browser. On the security front, IE 7 adds anti-phishing defenses as well as additional features to control ActiveX controls, which historically have been a pain point for Microsoft's browser.
IE 7 for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 can be downloaded from here.
"It's here, it's final, and we're excited," said Margaret Cobb, the group product manager for the browser.
The most controversial aspect of IE 7 has been Microsoft's decision to push the update to all users who have Automatic Updates enabled. Although users can reject IE 7 -- and continue using their current edition of Internet Explorer -- Microsoft will begin rolling out the browser as a "High priority" update next month. In July, when Microsoft offered up a toolkit to indefinitely postpone IE 7's installation, it justified using Automatic Updates, a mechanism for providing patches to Windows, because of the new browser's security implications.
"We've told enterprise customers to be ready [for IE 7] by Nov. 1," said Cobb. "It won't begin Nov. 1, but they should be ready."
The IE 7 update will also not add to the burden of Microsoft's monthly security patch delivery, scheduled for Nov. 14, promised Cobb. "We won't do it on Patch Tuesday."
Microsoft will also throttle back IE 7's delivery to keep the server load under control, she added. "We're starting with English, and then moving to the localized versions as they come available. At first we'll run it very slow, to a low percentage of users." After assessing the impact, Microsoft will increase the amount of traffic from the servers. "I'll have a 10 a.m. call every day to go over the impact on support or services," said Cobb, who can then order downloads to be scaled back or increased.
It will take as long as three months to deliver IE 7 to all users worldwide. "As each localized language comes online, we'll wait a few weeks after posting it for download before delivering it through Automatic Updates."
Microsoft has made one change late in the game. After IE 7 has installed, it will tell the user which search engine is the current default -- grabbed from IE 5 or IE 6 -- and then ask if they want to make a new choice. The process is similar to, but not identical, to the choice that Windows Vista users will face when they upgrade from Windows XP.
"We added this after RC3," said Cobb. "We're letting users know what engine is the default, and asking them if they want to keep it or do they want to switch. We're also going to be supporting IE 7."
Beginning Thursday, Microsoft will open a free, toll-free support line for IE 7. The help desk will be manned Monday through Friday 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. PDT, and on weekends from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. PDT.
Internet Explorer's chief rival, Mozilla Corp.'s Firefox browser, is nearing the final release of version 2.0. Currently on Release Candidate 3 (RC3), Firefox 2.0 should make it out the door before the end of the month.
Users who want to block the download and installation of IE 7 through Automatic Updates, as well as the Windows Update and Microsoft Update sites should steer here, where they can retrieve the Internet Explorer 7 Blocker Toolkit.
Thanks, so we can see I posted on other topics proving you to be the liar once again. Go harp on your open source flakes that tried to spread their leftist BS all over those computer threads I had to set straight why don't cha. As far as I'm concerned, there shouldn't even be any computer threads on this site at all, unless they have to do with politics. That is where I try to lead the discussion, and where you always get trounced.
You can disable the service.
For now, yes. However, eventually Microsoft will have a necessary system security update that will only be avaible as an update for IE7 boxes. It's what happened to people who didn't install SP2.
Your posting history speaks for itself, troll.
They exist. I've found him on China threads, which of course go inline with his "The Chinese can have open source so it's bad" mantra.
Sorry GE, but your posting history does not exactly lead us to believe that you number among that experienced group.
I'm proud of my posts that defend America, let us know if you ever upgrade your foreign Knoppix operating system to anything from the U.S. like most other Americans use. Till then you're obviously the pathetic little troll you keep trying to accuse me of being.
Babu, you may want to know that one of us has a very long list with links to the proof of the times that GE lied, accused FReepers of things they provably didn't do, misrepresented the postings of another FReeper in order to slander him (IMNSHO, the two most egregious offenses), switched subjects to avoid a losing position, and plain did not know the subject as well as he claimed.
Which is fine by me, since I am very secure in my knowledge of these issues
Like nmap and the infamous Russian hacker Fyodor? You did not know of one of the most famous tools in security/hacking, and bought that the famous American white-hat hacker Fyodor was Russian, just because of his name.
That's a bit dangerous, as you may end up accepting licenses that allow Microsoft to come into your computer whenever it wants, and even disable other programs you may be running.
On Wednesday, Microsoft made IE 7 available. This is the first new version of the Web browser in about five years. It features improved security and tabbed browsing.
If you haven't already done so, download IE 7. But be prepared for a wait. On most of my computers, it downloaded and installed in a flash. But Ed said the download and installation took him quite a bit of time. And when it finally installed, the darn thing crashed repeatedly.
For the time being, I recommend that you continue to use Firefox. We don't know how secure IE 7 will be.
Secunia, a European security firm, reported a flaw in IE 7. But Microsoft said the flaw actually is in Outlook Express. Whatever, it is difficult to exploit.
Visio rocks. But then Microsoft bought it when it was already an excellent application.
Whatever AntiRepublican, I've obviously got ziggy smoked since he uses a foreign O/S and has already admitted he doesn't know jack about the O/S 90% of Americans use, which all the liberal anarchists love to hate.
Which you never post because it proves you are the liars and exposes your endless support for leftists and foreign hackers.
the infamous Russian hacker Fyodor
There you go again, glorifying your favorite foreign hackers like always. If it's foreign, and it's a hacker, you can bet your last dollar antiRepublican here will be glorifying it.
Too late. I installed it before posting this article. Took it out for short a test drive - dslreports.com speed test, tried out the tabs, uninstalled Google Toolbar, noticed Menu toolbar was located lower, enabled pop-up blocker, closed IE7, and denied it access on my software firewall. It seemed to be running okay. None of my apps appear to have sufferd any damage so I guess I got off lucky compared to you. You're not alone with all the problems you're having associated with installing IE7. I noticed a thread on dslreports.com with people asking for help fixing all sorts of problems. Looks like you were dealt aces and eights. Wish I could help but IE is integrated into practically the whole OS, you're best option may be to backup data and reformat drive c. Sorry, Cat!
Hehe, I loved that one. GE made such a fool of himself defending the arrogant, ignorant politican the thread was about.
Mine's working fine, my only complaint is I haven't been able to drag and drop all the toolbars into a single one that is only 1 line high when I go full screen yet like I could with IE6. Maybe I'll find the setting, but it's only 2 lines high and since I set it to auto-hide anyway I hardly even notice.
No I was defending the American IT manager, while you antiRepublicans were as usual posting articles from your favorite foreign publications that attempted to ridicule him. Linux was ripped off those systems, so, you lose again.
It gets posted all the time in these threads. I don't maintain it, so I don't post it.
There you go again, glorifying your favorite foreign hackers like always.
See Babu, there he goes again. Fyodor is a famous American white-hat (the good guys) hacker whose real name is Gordon Lyon. GE got fooled because of the name Fyodor, which he got from reading Dostoevsky*. Anybody with any real knowledge of network security should know of him and his security tool, but GE didn't.
* I'll just cut off the coming GE comment "He reads Dostoevsky so he's a commie" by mentioning that the book was Notes from the Underground, which is a rejection of a socialist utopia and Marxism.
If youre not building your own PC's any mainline linux distro will work out of the box..
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