The New Internet Explorer

Hello, everybody. I'm back. Yes, the art season is finally over and although my plate is still full with my new studio and gallery in Ephrata, I am going to get back in the swing of writing these tech blogs. It has been an interesting few months since we last spoke, to say the least. There are a lot of changes in our lives (mostly good) and those of our family. So, I will write you an update about all this in separate blogs.

But, today, its time to get back to the tech world. Obviously, a lot has happened since my last blog, so I will try to catch you up as best I can with the stories that really matter. One of the big stories happening right now is the release of Microsoft's latest version of Internet Explorer (IE), known as Version 7. It has been five years since Microsoft released a major revision of IE, which is part of the reason they are losing more and more market share to other browsers like Firefox and Opera.

And, of course, Microsoft has spent much of its time in the last couple of years fixing the security holes that seem to pop up on a weekly basis with IE6. And don't look for that trend to change much with IE7. In fact, a new security hole has been found in IE7 even before it has been sent out. But that is another story.

Here are the facts about the new release: Sometime over the next few weeks, Microsoft will be sending you IE7 as an update release. But, be aware that IE 7 only works with Windows XP using Service Pack 2 and with the forthcoming release of the new Windows Vista operating system. It will not work with older operating systems. When you get the update notice from Microsoft, you will be given the option to install IE7 or not.

If you don't want to wait, IE7 is available now. You can get it from Yahoo, preinstalled with the Yahoo toolbar and using the Yahoo search engine. You can also get it by going to the Download.com website. Microsoft is staggering their release of IE7 to allow their tech support personnel to handle the calls in a reasonable manner.

What is new about IE7? Mostly, Microsoft is playing catchup by adding features that have been available in other browsers for sometime. They have added support for Web standards, RSS Web feeds and, the big one, tabbed browsing. The new browser also offers protection against phishing sites, malicious Web sites designed to trick users into handing over their personal information. None of this is new browser technology. Microsoft has fallen behind in browser software innovation and may never catchup completely.

What are the first reviews saying about IE7? Not great, but not bad either. One reviewer called IE7, "Yesterday's browser tomorrow," while another reviewer called it, "Microsoft's homage to Firefox and Opera." There is little or nothing new in IE7 that has not been available with other browsers for sometime. If you would like to take a video tour of IE7, CNET has a good 3+ minute on-line video.

Should you get it? Probably the answer is yes, whether you use another browser or not. If you still use IE6 exclusively, you will love all the new features. If you use Firefox or Opera or some other browser, you should still upgrade to IE7 as IE is part of your operating system whether you use it or not. Every once in a while, most of us who use other browsers have to resort to IE for one reason or another, so you might as well upgrade.

While the release of IE7 is important, it is now being overshadowed by the release of Firefox Version 2 which has just become available. The first reviews on it came out yesterday and, according to them, it is a real winner. More on Firefox 2 in our next blog.