Microsoft Internet Explorer 7

One of the longest beta programs in human history finally ends today with the release of Internet Explorer 7. The new iteration of Microsoft's ubiquitous Web browser is less than a revolution, since it incorporates the tabbed browsing, integrated RSS-feed reader, and expandability with plug-ins that sent many of us to Mozilla's Firefox over a year ago. Each of those new features, however, has been skillfully implemented in IE7 with some nice tweaks.

 

For example, IE7 detects the presence of RSS links and adds them to a Favorites Center that puts Favorites, Feeds, and History in a single, navigable window. Within the RSS reader itself, you can search and reorganize items by date, author, and title.

 

Tabbed browsing in IE7 gets supercharged with a Quick Tabs preview page of visual thumbnails that lets you view each open tab on a single screen. The group-tab feature turns the current cluster of open pages into a Favorite that reopens all of these tabs with a single click.

 

We especially like the much-improved page-printing feature, which lets you shrink pages to fit a sheet, change paper orientation, and even manually adjust margins on the fly. Some of IE7's new features are hidden, because the browser doesn't sport the same familiar File/Edit menus as IE6 in its default mode. We are still looking for an easy, one-click way to reactivate the Favorites Center. Overall, the interface is far leaner and more polished than IE6 and even more convenient than the beloved Firefox 1.X releases.

 

Beneath the surface, IE7 does succeed in making surfing more efficient and secure. We are not ready to say that the browser is noticeably faster than IE6 or as snappy as Firefox or Opera. It loads quickly, and we noticed that new pages tend to pop up whole and without many lagging images. The integrated search box lets you add and choose among the major engines, so you can perform Google, eBay, Ask, or Amazon.com queries at any time from any page.

 

Another great feature for researchers and data sharers is the ability to e-mail pages. You can send a full copy of the browser's current page, with images and links, in an HTML e-mail. Great for aging eyes, the zoom feature enlarges the page when you a click on the magnifying-glass icon in the lower right section of the browser, and we like that this feature maintains the page's original formatting.

 

Microsoft has also taken a cue from the open-source browsers and has enhanced its add-ons. A launch catalog displays Microsoft and third-party toolbars, form fillers, and other extensions that you can plug in and manage easily. Here's hoping that developers get as creative with IE7 plug-ins as they have with Firefox'.

 

Seeing as any IE release is a likely target for malware, Microsoft insists that IE7 is more secure than previous iterations. ActiveX controls are disabled by default, so you must opt in whenever a site wants to use them. The RSS reader only accepts valid links, and it analyzes file attachments to ensure against malicious executables. The browser also has an anti-phishing mechanism that tries to recognize and block you from visiting sites that mimic legitimate businesses so they can steal your personal information.

 

When the next Vista launches early next year, IE7 will become even more secure by working in a virtualized environment that prevents any Web site from making system changes of any kind. Only time will tell if these new measures will put up a firmer wall against the black hats of malware. We can say, though, that the new protections did not impede the normal Web browsing experience in any substantial way.

 

In the grand battle between Firefox and IE, we think that IE has a bit of an edge in this release, although the Firefox 2 betas we have seen will catch it up a bit. Many of the things we like about Firefox have been implemented in IE7 and have been polished to be more streamlined and useful. For those of us who spend a lot of time researching and working on the Web, IE7 represents the best and most aggressive IE upgrade we've seen in a while.