With all of the internet browser competition out there, it was about time Microsoft did another overhaul on the (un)trusty ol’ IE. With competition like Apple Safari, Opera, Google Chrome and especially Firefox out there, Microsoft needed to do something.
Firefox’s and IE’s browser use had been split down the middle for a little while, but recently, Firefox has been casting a shadow on the meek IE.
The new IE8 has some new features with it, and many that should put the user’s mind at ease while browsing the World Wide Web.
SmartScreen filtering for blocking malware is one of them. InformationWeek.com explains a few of the new IE8 features:
InPrivate Browsing mode that keeps no trail of browsing history and new features that prevents certain cross-site scripting attacks, click-jacking, and the installation of malicious ActiveX controls.
Some more aesthetic features include the visual search engine to see images as you’re browsing, and color-coded tabs for tab-grouping. The new tabs show frequently visited sites as links, IE8 made a smart move when they made these new tabs independent. Now, if one tab crashes, the program remains stable.
An auto-complete feature assists you as you’re typing letters and words in your search, and address bar. There is also a new addition to the browser that allows you to search within a webpage, similar to Firefox.
As with any new release of any product, only time will tell how reliable it is going to be. Stability has always been a big issue with Internet Explorer, which is one of the reasons people migrate to other browsers. Maybe with the release of IE8 and Windowz 7, people will regain faith in Microsoft’s products.
Microsoft’s Internet Explorer 8 will be released today, at noon, Pacific Standard Time.