Internet Explorer 9
Microsoft revealed a preview version of Internet Explorer 9 this week, which intends to give developers a hands-on look at what to expect in this next version of the browser.
It was unveiled at the MIX web design and developer conference last Tuesday and is said to provide support for HTML 5 and CSS 3 such as video tags, opacity and rounded corners.
The IE9 preview is still in its early stages but Microsoft committed to more updates during its development. The preview includes a new JavaScript engine code named Chakra, which will compile Java in the background and on a separate CPU core if one is available. Benchmarks from SunSpider showed that IE9 scored similar marks to Firefox, Safari, Chrome and Opera.
IE9 will also include support for SVG (scalable vector graphics) to allow developers and designers to use scripted graphical content and will also make use of full hardware acceleration to speed up graphic rendering and HTML. The use of GPU acceleration will improve scrolling and the viewing of 3D graphics by allowing the graphics card to process these, which will free up resources to handle other functions.
Although IE9 is only a preview it is still not able to complete the Acid3 test with a score of 55 out of 100, which tests the ability to render web fonts and support for current standards. Microsoft aren’t promising 100% support but say they will always continue to improve this, even though a few rival browsers pass the test with no problems.
At the moment IE9 only has a basic interface but it is intended for web designers and developers. You can view demos of what IE9 is capable of and follow the links to download a preview version if you are using Vista SP2 or Windows 7 by visiting this link: http://ie.microsoft.com/testdrive/
Related posts:
- Increase Internet Enquiries
- INTERNET ADVERTISING REACHES 25% OF TOTAL ADVERTISING
- Governments Say No To IE!
- Microsoft Browser Choices
- Adobe CS5 Overview
Posted By: Oli
I’ve been interested in web design for a while and I went to university to study a degree in media and graphics. While at university I developed my design skills using Adobe Photoshop, Flash, Dreamweaver and Adobe After Effects.
