Will IE9 change the way we use the web?

Microsoft’s newest web browser, Internet Explorer 9, sees the technology giant wrest some of the initiative from its rivals

The internet of the future is likely to look very different from the distinct pages and sites we visit today – that was the message as Microsoft launched the latest version of their much-maligned Internet Explorer web browser. And while every major manufacturer always claims that theirs is a revolutionary product, the company that remains best known for Windows and Office might just be on the right track this time. Headlines around the world greeted IE9 as Microsoft’s most ambitious yet, while others called it revolutionary. Respected British website Techradar.com went so far as to call it “ie-mazing”.

Almost since it launched Internet Explorer in 1995, the browser has been troublesome for Microsoft. Even when it was in use by 95 percent of all web users in 2002, a tech-savvy audience maintained that it was not the best option available. Firefox, the now-defunct Netscape Navigator and more recently Google Chrome have set the pace for speed and ease of use. With usage now down to less than two-thirds of the online population Microsoft has staged a fightback that, for once, appears to be winning many experts round, even if browsers are all starting to look more similar anyway.

At the heart of IE9, however, are two key features: the first is a bid to make websites more like applications, which means that the depth of features of, say Microsoft Word, could also be available to any site where developers have sufficient resources. In practice a chunk of that is largely cosmetic, but it’s a visual change that makes a genuine difference to the way people use the web. In the words of Microsoft’s Leila Martine, head of Windows in the UK, “it’s making web pages first class citizens”. Given that users spend around half their time using a computer online, some might argue this is rather overdue.

Secondly, however, is the integration between hardware and software: with the advance of new web programming language HTML5, Microsoft is now able to offload much of the burden of processing graphics onto computer hardware that’s built for the job, the graphics processing unit (GPU). This means that web pages are rendered at significantly greater speed – in a demo, the company showed IE9 to be at least five times quicker than Google Chrome.

It’s the combination of these two features, primarily, that Microsoft hopes will have a transformative effect on the internet: the download site for IE9 is called “beautyoftheweb.com“, and in some of the company’s demos there clearly are new possibilities. Amazon, for instance, has built a site called Bookshelf, which combines the best bits of browsing in a bookshop – looking at covers, getting a sense of what else is around – with providing useful additional information about titles and genres. The effect is genuinely unlike anything else that other browsers can produce successfully.

All this is not to say, however, that the web will change instantly. And anyway, Google, Firefox and other browsers are all heading in the same direction. But what’s certain is that the development of applications, both for the web and for the iPhone and other mobile devices, has made many companies notice that the internet on a desktop or laptop PC was starting to feel strangely limited: Microsoft has tried to solve this by tightly integrating IE9 with Windows 7, as Google will when it launches its equivalent Chrome operating system. What that means is that, in future, the line between being online and simply using a computer may become indistinguishable – but broadband, mobile phone and wifi providers will have to sort out getting us all connected first.

Microsoft support for Win2000, XP ends in July

Support for Microsoft Windows 2000 and XP will come to an end soon. Come July 13 and paid support, support assistance and security updates for these versions will be discontinued according to the company. July 13 will be the last day that extended support will be available.

However, self-help online support, which includes Microsoft online Knowledge Base articles, FAQs and troubleshooting tools, will be available for at least another year.

Microsoft offers support for its products for five years and extended support for another five years.

While, users of Windows 2000 will need to migrate to a more recent version of Windows. Windows XP SP2 or earlier version users can simply upgrade to Windows XP SP3.

This can be done via Internet Explorer’s Windows Update utility.

Internet Explorer 9: 10 Things to know

The software giant Microsoft is all set to update its IE browser. The Redmond-based company released a platform preview of Internet Explorer 9 for developers at MIX10 Web developer conference in Las Vegas. Microsoft is betting on IE9’s speed and performance to expand its majority share in the browser market. The company claims that the new browser will be faster than Firefox 3.6. According to Microsoft, Web and application developers will want to upgrade to the next version of Internet Explorer for its optimized performance and HTML 5 support. Here’s all about Internet Explorer 9’s very first release.

What’s new in IE9?

For now, Microsoft is betting on IE9’s speed and performance. The company claims that the new browser will be faster than Firefox 3.6. The company says Web and application developers will want to upgrade to the next version of Microsoft’s Web browser, IE9, for its optimized performance and better support for several standards: HTML5, DOM, and CSS3. IE9 is also the first browser to provide hardware-accelerated SVG support. IE9’s new script engine, internally known as `Chakra’ compiles JavaScript in the background on a separate core of the CPU, parallel to IE. HTML5 will also allow IE9 to move beyond resource hogging browser plug-ins to display multimedia content online.

How IE9 looks?

It is too early to comment on IE9’s user interface. For, there is still no beta release. The platform preview is essentially a frame for showing off the new browser’s JavaScript and rendering engines. So, there’s no Back button, bookmark manager, history feature, toolbars, and other so-common features in a browser interface.

What exactly is IE9 Platform Preview?

Internet Explorer Platform Preview is not a full Web browser. It is intended to give developers an opportunity to test and provide feedback on the underlying platform for Internet Explorer 9. To distinguish it from a full browser, the company calls it a Platform Preview. Microsoft plans to update the release every 8 weeks.

Can I use IE 9 release for my regular browsing?

No. As mentioned above, the Platform Preview is not a fully-functional browser. It opens links in a user’s default browser, not the Preview app. Since the Platform Preview cannot be registered as a default browser on a user’s system, the links do not open in it. Also, some of the features may or may not be the part of the shipped version of IE9, depending on developers’ feedback through various stages of Platform Preview.

Does IE9 release replace my current Internet Explorer?

No, it does not, though it does share some settings with your existing Internet Explorer installation. Platform Preview installs side-by-side with earlier versions of Internet Explorer and any other browser(s) on your computer.

Any cool feature in IE9 release?

Microsoft has released some technology demos that show IE9’s better support for JavaScript, its HTML5 capabilities, and support for hardware-accelerated graphics. Some demonstrations include, flying images, map zooming, pulsating bubbles and GPU-powered falling balls.

What are system requirements for IE 9 release?

Users need a Windows PC running either Windows 7 or Vista. On Vista, you need to have installed Internet Explorer 8 and you need to install the Platform Update for Windows Vista, available on Windows Update since October, 2009. Platform Preview is only available in a 32-bit x86 version but it will install and run on 64-bit Windows 7 and Vista.

Can IE 9 release run on Windows XP?

No. Microsoft has said that IE9 will not be available on Windows XP. According to the company, “IE9’s GPU-powered graphics take advantage of new technologies available in Windows 7 and back-ported only to Windows Vista. These technologies depend on advancements in the display driver model introduced first in Windows Vista.”

When will first IE 9 beta ship?

Microsoft has still not given any fixed time period for the beta release of IE9. The company says that the beta version will be released as a full browser once the build has reached the customer quality bar.

How can I download IE 9 release?

The IE9 Platform Preview can be downloaded from Microsoft’s Web site ie.microsoft.com/testdrive/ .

PC maker, inspiration for Microsoft, dead

Atlanta: Henry Edward Roberts, a developer of an early personal computer that inspired Bill Gates to found Microsoft, died on Thursday in Georgia. He was 68.

Mr. Roberts, whose build-it-yourself kit concentrated thousands of dollars worth of computer capability in an affordable package, inspired Bill Gates and his childhood friend Paul Allen to come up with Microsoft in 1975, after they saw an article about the MITS Altair 8800 in Popular Electronics.

Mr. Roberts, an ex-military man, later went on to build careers as a farmer and a physician, but continued to keep up with computer advances.

According to hi son David Roberts, he recently told Mr. Gates that he hoped to work with new, nanotechnology-enhanced machines.

“He did think it was pretty neat, some of the stuff they’re doing with the processors,” said Mr. David Roberts, who confirmed that Mr. Gates rushed to Georgia on Friday to be with his mentor.

According to his family, Mr. Roberts died in a Macon hospital after a long bout with pneumonia.

“Ed was willing to take a chance on us — two young guys interested in computers long before they were commonplace — and we have always been grateful to him,” Mr. Gates and Mr. Allen said in a joint statement released on Thursday .

“The day our first untested software worked on his Altair was the start of a lot of great things. We will always have many fond memories of working with Ed.”

The man often credited with kick-starting the modern computer era never intended to lead a revolution.

Born in Miami in 1941, Mr. Roberts spent time in the U.S. Air Force and earned an electrical engineering degree from Oklahoma State University in 1968.

He later parlayed his interest in technology into a business making calculators.

When large firms like Texas Instruments began cornering the business, Mr. Roberts soon found himself in debt, Mr. David Roberts said. Meanwhile, he was gaining an interest in computers at a time when hulking machines were available almost exclusively only at universities.

A funeral is planned Monday, in Cochran.