Well, what a surprise today to login on CyberNet News and see Microsoft has indeed released IE7. This after many of us were lead to believe that the September 18th date was just a rumor, one which Microsoft had squashed.
Now I say it has been released, for some, right now only the following operating systems are supported (as indicated on the IE7 downloads Site):
- Windows XP with SP2
- Windows XP Pro x64 Edition
- Window Server 2003 x64 Edition
- Window Server 2003 with SP1
- Window Server 2003 ia64 Edition
If you are running Windows Vista (developmental versions) you will have to stick to IE7 RC1. If you are already running IE7 RC1 (which I am NOT) you do not need to uninstall to upgrade (although the release notes give a word of warning:
Upgrading Internet Explorer 7 from a previous build (not uninstalling Internet Explorer 7 first) can leave the computer in a confusing state for users who require Assistive Technology programs).
Oh and the download file for IE7 is 15MB, that is almost 3 times the size of Firefox 2 RC3 (5.6MB).
times or tines
I am just trying out the new release of IE7, and find it interesting all the debate about this release versus the Firefox download. One of the most interesting aspects of the IE vs. Firefox battle is the development of the ecosystem of extensions or add-ons. It’s not just about bugs and features. Right now Firefox had a great advantage in this space but you can see Microsoft trying to catch up.
I noticed an interesting extension called Trailfire, set up as a recommended download for IE7. See link:
http://www.ieaddons.com/SearchResults.aspx?keywords=trailfire
I think the ecosystem for Firefox and IE will decide who wins this battle. What do you think?
Wow, IE is finally getting into the 21st century. I had no idea it was going to have add-ons, but I see these have been around for IE6. Kinda levels the playing field in many ways. Tabbed browsing was the big draw to Firefox as well as the extensions but now IE offers both. This could prove very interesting.