Microsoft has released Windows Internet Explorer 9 Beta, the latest version of the popular Web browser.

The release will enable developers, Web designers and internet users to try out the new features and innovations and prepare their sites for the official launch of Internet Explorer 9.

The new browser delivers a fast, clean, trusted and interoperable online experience that takes full advantage of Windows 7, putting the focus on the sites and applications people care about, said a statement.

“Developers and designers from partners around the world are showcasing how they have used the capabilities of Internet Explorer 9 to tap into the power of the PC hardware, Windows 7, a new user experience, and support for modern standards such as HTML5 to create immersive sites that feel increasingly like native PC applications,” the company said.

Users can download the new Internet Explorer 9 Beta and experience many of these new sites at https://www.BeautyoftheWeb.com.

“Internet Explorer 9 uses the power of Windows and the whole PC to bring you a better Web,” said Muhammad Arrabi, developer platform evangelist, Microsoft Jordan. “The new version of Internet Explorer takes advantage of the power of modern PC hardware to improve all-around Web browsing performance.”

“Internet Explorer 9 puts the focus on the applications with a clean experience, Windows 7 integration, and more pixels dedicated to the website, not the browser, allowing sites to shine. Browser controls are reduced and framed in “glass” so that, while they are discoverable, people see their Web content first and foremost”.

Internet Explorer 9 new features include Pinned Sites, through which a user’s favorite websites can be accessed directly from the Windows Taskbar without having to first open the browser, making it quick and easy for users to get to the content they care about. 

JumpLists offer a quick and easy way to get to a common website task without having to first launch the browser. For Pinned Sites where developers have created JumpList capabilities, users can quickly create a new e-mail message, check their inbox, change the music station, accept a friend invitation or see breaking news. 

Other features include Tear-off tabs and Windows Aero Snap tabs: Users often need to use more than one website or page to accomplish a task. Tearing off a tab by dragging it away from the browser and using Windows Aero Snap enable users to show two sites or pages side by side. Users can compare products from different websites, watch a video while reading e-mail, or look at a map while reading an itinerary for a trip, the statement said.

This comprehensive approach to performance includes the introduction of a new scripting engine, Chakra, that uses common multicore central processing units (CPUs) in PCs to deliver significant performance gains. Internet Explorer 9 is also the first browser with full hardware acceleration of HTML5, harnessing the power of the graphics processing unit (GPU), reallocating much of the graphic processing to the GPU instead of the CPU. By using the GPU, Internet Explorer 9 unlocks the 90 percent of the PC’s power that went previously untapped by Web browsers. – TradeArabia News Service