Microsoft to announce plans for next version of Internet Explorer

[Matthew DeCarlo]

Microsoft will talk about its plan for upcoming builds of Internet Explorer this week at the Professional Developers Conference -- though, it will not offer a preview of its next browser, according to CNET. It is also reported that the company is not planning to announce a move to the WebKit engine, despite speculation.

During a presentation today at the conference, chief software architect Ray Ozzie said Microsoft would make Internet Explorer the best Windows browser, but did not elaborate. Redmond is expected to offer more details during tomorrow's keynote speech, however, which will touch on some "focus areas" for the next version of IE.

Microsoft introduced the current version of Internet Explorer (IE8) in March of this year, and as of October, it held about 20% global market share. The company has struggled to move users away from IE6, which held some 23.3% of the market last month.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/37001-microsoft-to-announce-plans-for-next-version-of-internet-explorer.html

 

[jrronimo]

"Microsoft would make Internet Explorer the best Windows browser..." I can't imagine anything that could come out of the IE team that would top Chrome (or Firefox, for the FF lovers out there).

IE8 is alright, but it's still annoying -- when I open up a page, I should only have to hit ESC once to stop a page loading; it's not like I'm trying to time my F8 presses to get the Safe Mode list -- I just want the browser to stop what it's doing and let me control the experience. Further, 6 or 8 dialogue boxes after a fresh install? SO. ANNOYING. IE7 was better in that it was all on one page and a user could set it and go. But click, next, click, next click, next, click, next is pretty annoying when you set up a lot of machines like I do.

I can understand not wanting users to use IE6, but the best alternatives just don't come from MS these days, and I really can't imagine that changing.

 

[gobbybobby]

I expect it is mainly business that still use IE6 and casual web browsers who only use the internet to do banking or use email. People never update there PC, any persons PC I look at has all out of date software, if u let it all back up, it can take hours to update everything.

As for the browser war. I am sticking with FF for now. I agree with the above post. IE just is not as good as it used to be, but IE6 no longer has youtube support, and ''modern'' webistes may not work correctly with it anymore.

 

[Timonius]

I just wish that applications would be free of Internet Explorer technology altogether. The job I used to work at used the IE browser as the 'backbone' of their inventory management program. if IE fails so does the other program. Also for gamers, Steam uses IE, if IE doesn't work properly then the same goes for Steam. I wish I could have TRUE freedom in the browser technology I choose to serve as the backbone for these types of programs that rely on it. Or am I missing something here?

 

[TorturedChaos]

I agree with Timonius. Its annoying how integrated IE is into windows and other applications. I really wish I could just remove IE from my computer all together, but so many programs use it that you can't.

And M$ for have to pull a miracle out of there *** for me to switch from FF to IE.

 

[Guest]

I downloaded Internet Explorer at midnight in August 1995 and have been a fervent defender/user of it up through Internet Explorer 6, but once IE7 came out I started to have my doubts. Internet Explorer 8 removed all doubt for me and I started using Firefox 3.5 nearly exclusively (because there are a few "Microsoft" web sites that only work correctly with Internet Explorer I am forced to use IE8 a couple of times a month). If Microsoft can do with it's next browser what it did with Windows 7--which I love, by the way--then they may win me back, as well as win forward those 23% who are still using Internet Explorer 6.

FYI -- I am a technical support specialist at a college in Washington state and we have been told that we are NOT supposed to upgrade any of the systems to IE8, while nearly half our machines are still running IE6. Oh, yeah, we've also installed Firefox 3.5 on all the machines too. 'Nuff said.