Internet Explorer 7

IE7

Internet Explorer 7 has undergone many significant changes since the introduction of IE6 in 2003 with Windows XP. From its completely different layout to the addition of RSS, IE7 has undergone an extensive overhaul that some say will allow it to dominate over the new version of Firefox. Although the new version is set to be released with Windows Vista early next year it still has several bugs that needs to be addressed by Microsoft before its release.

From the new version of IE7 come many aesthetic differences from IE6. Someone at Microsoft got the bright idea of having tabs that allows the user to easily navigate the web (From Firefox maybe?). These tabs have also dramatically changed the appearance of the layout from IE6. In addition to the tabs, the refresh button has been added into the address bar and MSN and other search engine capabilities have been added in by default. Another cool little add-on is that when a user selects a favorite from the drop-down screen it automatically disappears. Not only did Microsoft undergo these significant layout changes, they underwent significant under the hood changes as well.

Along with the new and probably improved outward appearance of IE7 comes the addition and change of many under the hood features. A significant addition is that of RSS, which is a simple XML-based system that allows users to subscribe to their favorite websites. Also, all ActiveX controls are disabled by default which improves security from unverifiable and vulnerable controls. In addition, the well-known and common problem of printing a document and having a portion of the page cutoff has been fixed. The new version of IE7 has changed dramatically from its predecessor, IE6, and with a release date only a few months away the only thing left for Microsoft to do is to hammer out all those bugs.

Internet Explorer 7 has not been released yet due to the large number of bugs that have already been reported. Even a day after its test version release, many people wasted no time in finding several problems with the program. In response, Microsoft has set up a website that allows for customer feedback to try and fix these bugs. More of the commonly reported troubles with the new version include compatibility problems with McAfee security software and trouble installing the browser due to unnamed anti-spy ware and anti virus tools. Some testers even said that browsing certain web sites caused the computer to crash. Several people reported that at some point during the installation process an error was reported that said a file called "msfeeds.dll" could not be found and the program couldn’t be installed. The aim of the Internet Explorer 7 development team has been to get rid of many of those long-standing bugs left over from IE6. Not all of the known problems have been fixed yet, but Microsoft has made an effort to deal with the most urgent issues first. Microsoft's stated goal with version 7 was to fix the most significant "bugs" and areas that caused the most trouble for developers, and then improved coverage of the standards would come later. With the release date only a few months away, Microsoft does believe that the bugs will be fixed and the new IE7 will be released on the scheduled date.

I feel that in order to better understand the new version of Internet Explorer the advantages and disadvantages need to be out on the table. I’ll first discuss some of the advantages.