What's New in Internet Explorer 7

I'm sure that you have seen plenty of advertisements online about the latest release of Microsoft's web browser, Internet Explorer 7. Internet Explorer 7 has more built in internet security features than its predecessors. Microsoft also worked to eradicate some of the "back doors" in earlier versions of Internet Explorer to make Internet Explorer 7 a more robust and harder-to-hack application. And, they appear to have succeeded after the release of a few patches.

Internet Explorer 7 has a slightly different look and feel than earlier versions. The design is a bit flashier with enhanced graphics and color schemes. The toolbars have been rearranged a bit and bear a slight resemblance to the FireFox web browser. The Back and Forward button have been redesigned and offer a sleeker cool blue look. But, one of the more noticeable changes is the use of tabs. Instead of having to open multiple Internet Explorer windows to have access to multiple websites you can now have only one instance of Internet Explorer open with the use of tabs. Each website is given its own tab in the Internet Explorer 7 window. To open a new tab you simply click on the "new tab" button to the right of your current tab and presto, a new page opens up. Each tab is treated like a separate window in that the Internet Explorer commands affect only the active tab.

For example, opening your Favorites will only open the Favorites pane on the active tab. All other tabs will not display the Favorites pane. The tab feature reduces the amount of processor power and speed that Internet Explorer 7 requires. It also keeps your taskbar and desktop looking neat and tidy. You no longer need to maximize each open window of Internet Explorer to find the one you need, you can simply read the tab labels and click on the appropriate tab to access the website you need.

Internet Explorer 7 is a much more efficient and streamlined application compared to its predecessors and can compete better with web browsers such as FireFox. To upgrade or download Internet Explorer simply go to www.microsoft.com/windows/ie. Your computer will need to pass Microsoft's validity test to ensure that you have a valid copy of Windows XP installed before you can download Internet Explorer. And, when you install IE7, you will have to pass the validity test once more. The Internet Explorer 7 installation wizard automatically searches for and downloads and installs any updates or patches for IE7 from Microsoft at the time of installation. You can check for future updates and patches at www.microsoft.com/windows/ie.