Microsoft unleashed the final release candidate for Internet Explorer 9 on Friday after months of intensive beta testing. The new web browser, which is available for immediate download, includes notable enhancements, including a “do not track” implementation that gives users better control over how information about their web surfing is shared.
According to Microsoft, the release candidate incorporates 17,000 pieces of feedback that the development team received from beta testers. As a result, IE9 is not only faster but incorporates expanded support for web standards and HTML5, Microsoft said.
With the release, Microsoft is encouraging developers to begin building new web sites and user experiences that take advantage of IE9 capabilities that tap into the power of the PC as well as a new feature called site pinning, which lets users place their favorite sites on the Windows 7 taskbar like any other app.
“A better browsing experience combined with better sites really starts to deliver on the promise of what we set out to do with IE9, which is to deliver a more beautiful web for users,” said Ziad Ismail, Internet Explorer’s director of product management.
Resetting the Performance Gap
IE’s market share slid to 56 percent last month — from a 61 percent a year earlier, according to Net Applications. Nevertheless, some analysts believe IE9 will drive an upswing in Microsoft’s browser technology.
“The hardware acceleration should put to reset the performance gap that has caused many to move to WebKit browsers,” explained Al Hilwa, director of applications development software at IDC. And the “do not track” feature in IE9, “while not perfect, is probably more effective and consumer-friendly than alternatives,” he added.
Hilwa also thinks IE9’s HTML5 support will win web-developer mindshare. “The only major challenge I see is support for XP, which will cap the adoption…