Internet Explorer 9 Platform Test Demo

[wige]

A few days ago, Microsoft announced IE9, and made available a test version of the browser engine. The browser has a few features that look promising:



Improved Javascript processing
Improved and more standards-correct CSS
Support for CSS3
HTML5 support
Support for <video> and <audio> embedding
Hardware-accelerated 2D graphics
No support for Windows XP or older systems

I have only just started experimenting with IE9, the current version is only an engine test, and doesn't even include an address bar at this time. Has anyone else tried the browser, or have hopes/expectations for the browser?

You can get more information, the demo, and see some sample code here: http://ie.microsoft.com/testdrive/

[ran_dizolph]

The only expectation I've got, is that we'll have yet another IE browser to have to worry about fixing things in.

Great.

[epep]

What is the deal with all of the IE releases lately? IE 7, 8 and now 9 all rolled out in a matter of a few years!?! I guess Firefox is up to v.3.6, for the guys at Microsoft need to keep up with the released versions, but what gives?! Wasn't IE6 around for 5+ years before 7 came around? Don't get me wrong, I like progress, but this is making web development increasingly difficult!

EP

[wige]

Actuallly, IE 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 were released in a five year period, and 6 came out three years later. 7 came out five years after that, with 8 released three years later. No release date is set for 9, but if it is released next year, it will be two years after 8. IE 6 was horrible in terms of standards compliance, and 7, 8 and 9 are all moving towards more standard behavior that should make developing sites easier as they start following standards in line with other browsers.

[Rod Abbotson]

No support for XP...that sucks as most people shunned Vista and went back to XP....Windows 7 is OK but many will still be on XP...it should be backward compatible as other browsers are...

[netroact]

No support for XP...that sucks as most people shunned Vista and went back to XP....Windows 7 is OK but many will still be on XP...it should be backward compatible as other browsers are...

I was thinking the same thing. It's not like they couldn't make it work on XP. Hopefully people will complain, and they will change that, but I doubt it.

[edhan]

I am still sticking with XP so guess I won't be able to test it until I upgrade my O/S. By then it will be at least 2 years down the road unless there is no more security updates support earlier.

[colin4255]

Like most people, I assume it will just be another bug-ridden, bloated and largely un-neccessary piece of software that we will all end up trying to find fixes for.

It may be an idea for them to make IE8 work properly instead of embarking on something new. I am afraid I have no real interest in it. You see, I am not about to install Vista or Windows 7 on any PC we use here as neither of those software platforms is either finished properly or bug free yet.

We have finally made Xp work here so we'll be sticking with what we can get to work with that.

[wige]

Don't forget, this is a technical preview of the new browser. Internet Explorer 9 is not slated for release for almost two years. The current estimated release date is late 2011 or early 2012. This is only a technical preview, and by the time the software is released, Windows 7 will likely have more of a market share. Newer computers will also be better able to take advantage of the newer concepts such as hardware accelerated graphics and DirectDraw which will be in the next-generation browsers (IE9, FF4) that will be coming out in that timeframe, while the older computers running XP will struggle with those features anyway.

[epep]

Wige, I hear ya. Thanks for the history on the IE browser releases, much appreciated! Don't get me wrong though, I'm all for it so long as CSS3 and HTML5 are supported!

[cunghuong]

Well! Do you think Microsoft will have Internet Explorer 9 soon? I am looking forward to trying it!