Internet Explorer 9: Pros and Cons

Microsoft has released eight versions of its Internet Explorer software, all of which received mixed responses from the consumers. The tech giant hopes to finally win over its skeptics with the imminent release of Internet Explorer 9, the next iteration of its web browser software. A beta version of IE9, which closely resembles the final built, was recently made available by Microsoft to very positive receptions. In this article, I will discuss the pros and cons of Internet Explorer 9 as well as offer recommendations.

From the beta version, it appears that Microsoft has decided to give the IE line a long-awaited makeover. The software developer is taking the best features of other web browsers and enhancing them. The most visible change is in the browser's overall look and feel. Internet Explorer 9 has adopted a minimalist user interface, as opposed to the fancier and busier look of the previous versions. Microsoft has also made a concerted effort to minimize unnecessary pop-ups and alert messages-a source of great frustrations for many users of the web browser.

One of the major pros of Internet Explorer 9 beta version is the impressive loading speed. When comparing IE9 side by side with the latest versions of other web browsers, Internet Explorer 9 appears to be at least equal or slightly better in speed. Moreover, the browser is much more stable than the previous versions; frequency of crashes is also a lot less. The improvement is due to Internet Explorer 9's better use of hardware resources, and its adoption of HTML5 as an important standard. Additionally, this version includes all the excellent browser privacy and security measures featured in IE8.

=>CONTINUE ON PAGE 2

Internet Explorer 9 is not without any drawback, however. One of the biggest cons of IE9 is the fact that this version of the web browser only supports Windows 7 and Vista. People who use Windows XP as their computers' operating system won't be able to use Internet Explorer 9. Considering XP is still the most popular and most used OS in the market, this omission is a big gamble on Microsoft's part. It is clear that the tech giant is using this opportunity to impel users to abandon Windows XP in favor of the newer versions. Microsoft has invested heavily in IE9's development, and the company is looking for a big return from it.

Should you switch or upgrade to Internet Explorer 9? Since the complete product has not yet been released, one can't give a definite answer. But one thing is for sure. You do have a menu of decent web browsers to choose from. There is no reason for Windows XP users to switch to a newer OS just to get Internet Explorer 9. Although IE9 is perhaps the best version of Internet Explorer yet, it is not that much better than most web browsers out there. Google, Mozilla, and Opera will soon release new versions of their browser software that may match or even surpass Internet Explorer 9 in speed and features. If you are a user of either Windows 7 or Vista, you can try the beta version to get a feel of it yourself. But here is a word of caution. IE9 beta version is an incomplete product, and thus there are risks associated with installing it.