IE 7 Beta 2 Review

Good, Very Good!

Published on February 4, 2006 By Larry Kuperman In Internet

Microsoft has released for public download the second Beta of the next version of their Internet browser. I have downloaded and installed the Beta 2 of IE7 (Internet Explorer 7) and so far I like the experience very much.

Key Features: Tabbed Browsing, a Streamlined (and highly configurable) user interface, greatly improved security, RSS feed support, toolbar search box. For a full feature list see Link (Some IE7 features will not be available until Vista rolls out.

Killer Feature: Quick tabs, thumb nail view of the tabs that you have open.

If you have used Firefox, the experience will be immediately familiar. Set up was easy, configuration was intuitive. The tabs look the way I have my tabs set in Firefox (I use Tab Mix Plus) and useage was familiar. IE 7 install also optionally runs the Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool at installation,which was a nice touch, I thought.

I configured the search box immediately, choosing Google over MSN Seach without problem.

Memory usage still seems higher than for Firefox. IE7 with two tabs open: 67 Mb. Firefox 1.5.0.1 with the same two tabs: 47 Mb. If anyone gets different results, I would like to see them.

As mentioned before, security is GREATLY improved. Tools> Manage Add Ons lets you see what is running and gives you the option of Enabling/Disabling an Add On or deleting it all together. There are also built-in links for a number of Add Ons, including security ones, at http://windowsmarketplace.com/content.aspx?ctId=63 You can get Pop Up blockers, anti-Spyware programs, etc.

The interface is way cleaner, although you can easily go back the IE6 "classic" look if you want. See Link

IE7 is obviously intended to go head to head with Mozilla's Firefox. In my not-so-humble opinion, it is competitive. It doesn't blow Firefox away, but it is much better than IE6.

Take the full tour at Link

Comments (Page 3)

RockinMike

on Feb 05, 2006

Personally for myself IE7 is quite more pleasing than firefox. Cutting out the intranet from the explorer itself was quite awesome, plus changing the default settings for the internet for home users was huge plus. I find using IE7 very gratifying.

ericdrum

on Feb 06, 2006

"select" statements in html look messed up with the 3 WB skins I've tried. They just show a blank box next to the object. Anyone else experience this?

Here's an example.

GreenReaper

on Feb 06, 2006

If you want to add more search providers to IE7 than the default given, try TweakVista. Despite the name, it should work on XP if you have .NET 2.0 installed. It's got way more on offer than the default engines, and you can even make your own if your site supports "GET"-based search (with the parameters in the URL).

RPGFX

on Feb 07, 2006

I tried it, and played with it for about an hour this morning. I like it. I don't love it, but it's ok. In it's current beta state it would no way replace Firefox for me, but we'll see how it ends up in final version. I do like the zoom, and the new layout. Don't like how slow and jumpy pages scroll, and I don't like the toolbar options much... But it's much better than IE6, that's for sure.

Island Dog

on Feb 07, 2006

"select" statements in html look messed up with the 3 WB skins I've tried. They just show a blank box next to the object. Anyone else experience this?

Yes. Also when I backspace to correct a spelling error the letters don't "disappear".

fidelae

on Feb 08, 2006

I'm wondrig if it as something to do with IE7. But my login in wincustomize is refused since I've installed it while still accepted through Fx.Login failed also with my Firewall (Securepoint) and my Antivirus (Avast) desactived. Anybody with this kind o difficulty?

Wish a good day from rainy Paris

Tirasus

on Feb 08, 2006

I am sorry people. You all need a real internet experience. Get Opera, if you do you will thank me for it trust me. Atleast have a lookLink

Jafo

on Feb 08, 2006

Get Opera,

I think I first started using Opera around '99 ......something like that...6 or 7 years....

Kevin_C

on Feb 08, 2006

Get Opera, if you do you will thank me for it trust me

Tried it a few versions ago... HATED it.. Might try version 9 when it comes out but unless it's changed A LOT I probably still won't like it.

DesignCaddy

on Feb 08, 2006

Broken Square,

an app (Isass) in my task manager spiked my cpu to 100%

isass.exe ( I) is a virus. http://www.liutilities.com/products/wintaskspro/processlibrary/isass/

lsass ( L )is a system file, look closely and make sure of which process is running.

---

So far i'm happy, i was waiting for this release for some time because a lot of my work uses sites with activx content, and Opera bombs out in that field, as well as with flash. I've been tired of using two browsers throughout the day. The first thing i did however was head over to Hermik's site to test the CSS. Everything loaded up quick and looked right. Upgraded CSS support is what will make the browser for me.

IE7 is more slick than its predessesors.. whether it was meant to or not, i accidentally removed the menu bar ( when i hit alt+f it temporarily appears wedged between the nav and tab bars ) but i still have access to all the options i would need.

I also appreciate how easy it was to change the search engine.

The Manage Add-On's feature is a blessing. One click and i have access to all of the misc crap that applications add on to IE and i can choose to remove them.

Will still need to figure out those tabs, though. I still get additional windows loading and i want only tabs.

Island Dog

on Feb 08, 2006

If you go to Google, it will prompt you to download a patch that makes Google the default search engine.

Larry Kuperman

on Feb 08, 2006

"If you go to Google, it will prompt you to download a patch that makes Google the default search engine."

Even if you have already chosen it as the default.

Which is kind of obnoxious, don't you think?

Old_Crab

on Feb 09, 2006

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There. Primal scream. O.K. Installed IE7. Couldn't find anything and got quite disturbed. Played with it a little while. I'm back to IE6. Thank you very much. Too new for me. I like the old fashined stuff. Bah! Humbug!

Kevin_C

on Feb 09, 2006

Installed it on my test box. It's OK, nothing all that special and it's slow, actually it's very slow but I attribute at least part of it to the fact that it's still a beta. I'm ok with it running slow in it's current state, but MS had best fix that before they label it ready for prime time..

DesignCaddy

on Feb 09, 2006

anyone else having problems opening some links and drawing some websites? ex, www.reuters.com .. get in 2 links deep and ran in to link problems, had to right-click 'open' link, then the page i opened wasn't drawn properly. no text.. ad's duplicated.. tables messy.. said the pages was done loading, too.

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