With a new download manager, enhanced security and privacy measures, and a tuned-up JavaScript engine, Microsoft's latest version of Internet Explorer is its best yet. The new layout also leaves a lot of room for the actual Web page you're looking at. It's good to see more of the site, but that does make the browser's controls feel a little cramped.
The latest version of Microsoft's (Nasdaq: MSFT) Web browser was released this week. The company says Internet Explorer 9 incorporates more feedback from beta testers than any other previous release of the software. It has increased speed and performance, added new functionalities, and brought some new things to the table that no other browser has.
The end result is without a doubt the best Internet Explorer to date, but nothing that would make most Firefox or Chrome users want to switch. It could, however, do a lot to ensure current IE users don't start getting wandering eyes.
The Snazzy New Features
Microsoft's claims about IE9 running faster and more smoothly are true. The improved JavaScript engine makes a noticeable difference when running Java content, making it possible to load the enhanced content in no time at all.
However, quickness means nothing if the layout and interface and clunky. That used to be an issue with Internet Explorer, but not in this latest version. Microsoft has taken a cue from its increasingly popular competitors like Firefox and Chrome and whittled down the amount of space used at the top of the window.
In fact, users who prefer to just have a URL bar and a list of tabs will come to Internet Explorer 9 with a top-of-the-page toolbar that is only 63 pixels long. That means there is more space dedicated to actually showing the website than Firefox or Chrome. It looks very nice and clean, without a doubt, but some users would be lost without their Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) Toolbar or Norton add-on. Internet Explorer 9 gives users full access over what add-ons they want to add to the browser, but for those who want a clean and unobstructed browsing experience, this is the best option to date.
What is potentially the best new feature, though, is the ability of having "Pinned Sites." Microsoft is flexing its advantage of being the designer not only behind Internet Explorer but also the operating system on which it runs, allowing it to deeply integrate IE9 with Windows 7.
So those who have Windows 7 and IE9 can tag a website as Pinned. That website is then added to the bottom-of-the-screen task bar, giving users one-click access to instantly launch their most used sites, regardless of what other programs they have open. It is a very nice addition, it adds to productivity and it's something no other browser offers. For those reasons, it is one of the best enhancements to IE9.
The Not-So-Snazzy But Still Important
Internet Explorer 9 adds new security features for users who worry about their online activity being tracked or monitored. Users are able to fully customize what they want and do not want third parties to be able to track, and they can also choose what websites are and are not allowed to track. This is a much deeper security option when it comes to user tracking than what's offered by Chrome or Firefox.
What's nice about this is it's very easy to choose the tracking settings you want. Microsoft has a dedicate site, accessible from the browser's Safety menu, with five different Tracking Protection Lists. Just click on the list that's right for you, and IE9 will do the rest. When it comes to online security, the people at risk are those who can't understand a bunch of complicated menus and settings. IE9 takes a complicated process and makes it very user friendly.
There is also a new download tracker that keeps track of all files downloaded from Internet Explorer 9. This isn't a new concept; Firefox has had something similar for years. What IE9 does better, though, is that it makes it easy to go back and look at historical downloads. Firefox is better at just letting users track current download progress, but if you ever want to go back and search for files downloaded a long time ago, IE9's download tracker is perfect. It lets users search for file names and immediately lists what folder the file was downloaded to.
What's Still the Same
Some of the unnecessarily tedious processes have not been fixed from Internet Explorer 8. For example, there is only one menu for Bookmarks, History and Feeds. So if the last thing you do is check your history, and then you decide you want to bookmark a site, you'll have to click on the Star button, but instead of taking you to the bookmarking page, you'll still be browsing your history. You need to click on the Bookmarks tab and then you can bookmark the site. It's not a big deal, but there really should be a dedicated menu that is just for bookmarking.
There are a lot of enhancements with the way Internet Explorer 9 handles tabs, but what hasn't changed is that each tab counts as a separate window on the computer's task bar. This is an annoyance because it becomes very difficult to tell the difference between a different tab in the same Internet Explorer window, and a different window altogether. Neither Firefox nor Chrome has this issue.
It's also still difficult to change much of the browser's settings, thanks to the minimized toolbar. There are no File, Edit, View, etc. menus. Instead, everything is relegated to a single cog icon on the top-right of the toolbar, and from there, there are only a handful of submenus. This leaves users playing guessing games as to what submenu contains the setting they're looking for. For example, some privacy settings appear in the new "Safety" menu, but others require users to hunt under "Internet Options."
A lot of stuff is cleaned up in order to make the browser window look nice, but that in turn just ends up cramping menus and options when needed. It's kind of like stuffing everything into a closet just to make your living room look clean -- it looks nice, but when you need to find those Swiffer refills, it becomes a difficult process.
Bottom Line
To put it all together, Internet Explorer 9 is a worthy enhancement of Microsoft's long-reigning Web browser. Arguably for the first time, it actually feels like the company listened to user complaints and improved the entire browser experience. It doesn't just feel like an incremental upgrade; it actually feels like a new piece of software.
It doesn't reinvent the wheel, though. Aside from a slightly larger allocation of space to website content and some increased security features, there isn't anything to draw back users who strayed away from Internet Explorer for Firefox or Chrome. It doesn't need to do that, though. All it needs is to keep the current IE users happy. Microsoft does still have a majority share of the Web browser market but has been losing share for years.
If it can keep idle Internet Explorer users from converting to another browser, it has done its job, and with these new features, it increases the likelihood of accomplishing that.
The latest version of Microsoft's (Nasdaq: MSFT) Web browser was released this week. The company says Internet Explorer 9 incorporates more feedback from beta testers than any other previous release of the software. It has increased speed and performance, added new functionalities, and brought some new things to the table that no other browser has.
The end result is without a doubt the best Internet Explorer to date, but nothing that would make most Firefox or Chrome users want to switch. It could, however, do a lot to ensure current IE users don't start getting wandering eyes.
The Snazzy New Features
Microsoft's claims about IE9 running faster and more smoothly are true. The improved JavaScript engine makes a noticeable difference when running Java content, making it possible to load the enhanced content in no time at all.
However, quickness means nothing if the layout and interface and clunky. That used to be an issue with Internet Explorer, but not in this latest version. Microsoft has taken a cue from its increasingly popular competitors like Firefox and Chrome and whittled down the amount of space used at the top of the window.
In fact, users who prefer to just have a URL bar and a list of tabs will come to Internet Explorer 9 with a top-of-the-page toolbar that is only 63 pixels long. That means there is more space dedicated to actually showing the website than Firefox or Chrome. It looks very nice and clean, without a doubt, but some users would be lost without their Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) Toolbar or Norton add-on. Internet Explorer 9 gives users full access over what add-ons they want to add to the browser, but for those who want a clean and unobstructed browsing experience, this is the best option to date.
What is potentially the best new feature, though, is the ability of having "Pinned Sites." Microsoft is flexing its advantage of being the designer not only behind Internet Explorer but also the operating system on which it runs, allowing it to deeply integrate IE9 with Windows 7.
So those who have Windows 7 and IE9 can tag a website as Pinned. That website is then added to the bottom-of-the-screen task bar, giving users one-click access to instantly launch their most used sites, regardless of what other programs they have open. It is a very nice addition, it adds to productivity and it's something no other browser offers. For those reasons, it is one of the best enhancements to IE9.
The Not-So-Snazzy But Still Important
Internet Explorer 9 adds new security features for users who worry about their online activity being tracked or monitored. Users are able to fully customize what they want and do not want third parties to be able to track, and they can also choose what websites are and are not allowed to track. This is a much deeper security option when it comes to user tracking than what's offered by Chrome or Firefox.
What's nice about this is it's very easy to choose the tracking settings you want. Microsoft has a dedicate site, accessible from the browser's Safety menu, with five different Tracking Protection Lists. Just click on the list that's right for you, and IE9 will do the rest. When it comes to online security, the people at risk are those who can't understand a bunch of complicated menus and settings. IE9 takes a complicated process and makes it very user friendly.
There is also a new download tracker that keeps track of all files downloaded from Internet Explorer 9. This isn't a new concept; Firefox has had something similar for years. What IE9 does better, though, is that it makes it easy to go back and look at historical downloads. Firefox is better at just letting users track current download progress, but if you ever want to go back and search for files downloaded a long time ago, IE9's download tracker is perfect. It lets users search for file names and immediately lists what folder the file was downloaded to.
What's Still the Same
Some of the unnecessarily tedious processes have not been fixed from Internet Explorer 8. For example, there is only one menu for Bookmarks, History and Feeds. So if the last thing you do is check your history, and then you decide you want to bookmark a site, you'll have to click on the Star button, but instead of taking you to the bookmarking page, you'll still be browsing your history. You need to click on the Bookmarks tab and then you can bookmark the site. It's not a big deal, but there really should be a dedicated menu that is just for bookmarking.
There are a lot of enhancements with the way Internet Explorer 9 handles tabs, but what hasn't changed is that each tab counts as a separate window on the computer's task bar. This is an annoyance because it becomes very difficult to tell the difference between a different tab in the same Internet Explorer window, and a different window altogether. Neither Firefox nor Chrome has this issue.
It's also still difficult to change much of the browser's settings, thanks to the minimized toolbar. There are no File, Edit, View, etc. menus. Instead, everything is relegated to a single cog icon on the top-right of the toolbar, and from there, there are only a handful of submenus. This leaves users playing guessing games as to what submenu contains the setting they're looking for. For example, some privacy settings appear in the new "Safety" menu, but others require users to hunt under "Internet Options."
A lot of stuff is cleaned up in order to make the browser window look nice, but that in turn just ends up cramping menus and options when needed. It's kind of like stuffing everything into a closet just to make your living room look clean -- it looks nice, but when you need to find those Swiffer refills, it becomes a difficult process.
Bottom Line
To put it all together, Internet Explorer 9 is a worthy enhancement of Microsoft's long-reigning Web browser. Arguably for the first time, it actually feels like the company listened to user complaints and improved the entire browser experience. It doesn't just feel like an incremental upgrade; it actually feels like a new piece of software.
It doesn't reinvent the wheel, though. Aside from a slightly larger allocation of space to website content and some increased security features, there isn't anything to draw back users who strayed away from Internet Explorer for Firefox or Chrome. It doesn't need to do that, though. All it needs is to keep the current IE users happy. Microsoft does still have a majority share of the Web browser market but has been losing share for years.
If it can keep idle Internet Explorer users from converting to another browser, it has done its job, and with these new features, it increases the likelihood of accomplishing that.