The battle of the Web browsers is once again heating up, and Microsoft is right in the thick of it with Internet Explorer 9, the release of which will be sandwiched between new offerings from rivals Google and Mozilla. IE9 is packed with new features and may be especially attractive to certain Windows 7 users, but does it have what it takes to regain Microsoft's faded market share?
On March 14, just days after Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) released a new version of its Chrome browser -- and right before Mozilla is set to unwrap its latest edition of Firefox -- Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) will be unleashing Internet Explorer 9 into the wild, adding to the next chapter in the hotly contended browser wars.
It's the first major update to Microsoft's Web browser in nearly two years, and it aims to attract users back to its platform with several new enhancements added to version 9.
New Design
The new version of Internet Explorer brings a completely new interface and offers more real estate in the software for actual website content than any previous version.
That's because there is only one bar at the top for the URL address, different tabs, and command buttons. This means nearly all of the window is reserved for the website itself.
Added Functionality
Internet Explorer 9 also adds new features to improve users' browsing experiences, some of which have already been seen in other browsers like Firefox, and others that are unique to Internet Explorer.
One notable unique feature is the ability to "pin" websites. By marking a website as "pinned," it adds a dedicated icon to the bottom taskbar, allowing users to easily go back to that website with one click, no matter what program they're running.
IE9 also adds a download manager, similar to what Firefox offers but with a few more bells and whistles. The IE download manager keeps a running list of active and completed downloads, and it also warns users of potentially dangerous files before they try to run them.
Users can also have multiple tabs in a single window and can look at multiple tabs in a side-by-side view, making it possible to see a snapshot of all opened tabs simultaneously.
There's also new functionality that brings up real-time search results while users are typing into the URL bar, and a notificaion bar shows up at the bottom of the window for any important messages.
Other Additions
Microsoft also claims the new Internet Explorer can run faster, has a better means of blocking malicious content and helps keep personal data that users enter on websites secure.
Users can also download add-ons for the browser and can manage these in an all-encompassing Add-on Performance Advisor window.
The Launch Festivities
Microsoft plans to hold a large release party at the SXSW convention in Austin, Texas. The festivities underscore how important this launch is for Microsoft, said Jordan Cressman, analyst at Market Communications.
"Microsoft needs to reiterate that it isn't a stuffy company, out of touch with the normal consumer. By launching IE9 at an event with wide appeal like SXSW, instead of some Microsoft corporate event or a specialized trade show, it helps get the message across to a wider audience," Cressman told TechNewsWorld.
For Microsoft, the idea of celebrating Internet Explorer 9 in a bigger than usual way may also be symbolic of the company's resolve to gain back the dominance it once had in the browser wars.
The History of Internet Explorer
Back in its heyday, circa 2004, Internet Explorer commanded a 95 percent share of all browser usage, according to TheCounter.com -- a statistic that's virtually unthinkable in today's browser market. The history of online dominance has helped Microsoft retain its leading position in the field, but that lead has diminished significantly.
In just two years, Internet Explorer has gone from a 64 percent market share to 45 percent, a 19 percent. By contrast, Firefox has gone from 28 percent to 30 percent in the same time frame, and Chrome has catapulted from a negligible 1.5 percent to 16.5 percent. These numbers are based on reports from StatCounter.com.
Users have more choice when it comes to choosing a browser these days, and there are features in Firefox and Chrome -- like the ability to customize the appearance and install third-party add-ons -- that have caused many users to switch from IE.
The move away from Internet Explorer underscores a bigger shift in the way people use technology, according to Travis Hodges, social media expert and account executive at Drum Marketing.
"This is an era in which consumers have a thirst for technology that's new and different," Hodges told TechNewsWorld. "In the past, people latched onto the tried and tested software because it felt comfortable and secure. Now, that same kind of software is looked upon with dissatisfaction, as we're in a culture where consumers expect competing companies to one-up each other at every turn. Any product or corporation seen as stale and unwilling to change will falter in that kind of environment."
On March 14, just days after Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) released a new version of its Chrome browser -- and right before Mozilla is set to unwrap its latest edition of Firefox -- Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) will be unleashing Internet Explorer 9 into the wild, adding to the next chapter in the hotly contended browser wars.
It's the first major update to Microsoft's Web browser in nearly two years, and it aims to attract users back to its platform with several new enhancements added to version 9.
New Design
The new version of Internet Explorer brings a completely new interface and offers more real estate in the software for actual website content than any previous version.
That's because there is only one bar at the top for the URL address, different tabs, and command buttons. This means nearly all of the window is reserved for the website itself.
Added Functionality
Internet Explorer 9 also adds new features to improve users' browsing experiences, some of which have already been seen in other browsers like Firefox, and others that are unique to Internet Explorer.
One notable unique feature is the ability to "pin" websites. By marking a website as "pinned," it adds a dedicated icon to the bottom taskbar, allowing users to easily go back to that website with one click, no matter what program they're running.
IE9 also adds a download manager, similar to what Firefox offers but with a few more bells and whistles. The IE download manager keeps a running list of active and completed downloads, and it also warns users of potentially dangerous files before they try to run them.
Users can also have multiple tabs in a single window and can look at multiple tabs in a side-by-side view, making it possible to see a snapshot of all opened tabs simultaneously.
There's also new functionality that brings up real-time search results while users are typing into the URL bar, and a notificaion bar shows up at the bottom of the window for any important messages.
Other Additions
Microsoft also claims the new Internet Explorer can run faster, has a better means of blocking malicious content and helps keep personal data that users enter on websites secure.
Users can also download add-ons for the browser and can manage these in an all-encompassing Add-on Performance Advisor window.
The Launch Festivities
Microsoft plans to hold a large release party at the SXSW convention in Austin, Texas. The festivities underscore how important this launch is for Microsoft, said Jordan Cressman, analyst at Market Communications.
"Microsoft needs to reiterate that it isn't a stuffy company, out of touch with the normal consumer. By launching IE9 at an event with wide appeal like SXSW, instead of some Microsoft corporate event or a specialized trade show, it helps get the message across to a wider audience," Cressman told TechNewsWorld.
For Microsoft, the idea of celebrating Internet Explorer 9 in a bigger than usual way may also be symbolic of the company's resolve to gain back the dominance it once had in the browser wars.
The History of Internet Explorer
Back in its heyday, circa 2004, Internet Explorer commanded a 95 percent share of all browser usage, according to TheCounter.com -- a statistic that's virtually unthinkable in today's browser market. The history of online dominance has helped Microsoft retain its leading position in the field, but that lead has diminished significantly.
In just two years, Internet Explorer has gone from a 64 percent market share to 45 percent, a 19 percent. By contrast, Firefox has gone from 28 percent to 30 percent in the same time frame, and Chrome has catapulted from a negligible 1.5 percent to 16.5 percent. These numbers are based on reports from StatCounter.com.
Users have more choice when it comes to choosing a browser these days, and there are features in Firefox and Chrome -- like the ability to customize the appearance and install third-party add-ons -- that have caused many users to switch from IE.
The move away from Internet Explorer underscores a bigger shift in the way people use technology, according to Travis Hodges, social media expert and account executive at Drum Marketing.
"This is an era in which consumers have a thirst for technology that's new and different," Hodges told TechNewsWorld. "In the past, people latched onto the tried and tested software because it felt comfortable and secure. Now, that same kind of software is looked upon with dissatisfaction, as we're in a culture where consumers expect competing companies to one-up each other at every turn. Any product or corporation seen as stale and unwilling to change will falter in that kind of environment."