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Thursday, August 24, 2006 9:00 AM PT Posted by Erik Larkin
First IE7 Release Candidate For XP Now Available
Microsoft polished up the latest beta version of Internet Explorer 7 and offered it up today for download as the first release candidate (the step between beta testing and a final version). This new version doesn't add any new features or major interface changes from the last version. It focuses on bug fixes, along with performance, compatibility and security improvements, Microsoft says.
You can get RC1 from Microsoft's IE site for XP SP2, XP 64-bit and 2003 SP1. No release candidate for Vista yet, but Microsoft says "we're getting close." The final version is still planned for the fourth quarter later this year.
One little plus over beta 3 is that today's version will automatically uninstall old betas. This release also adds language support for French and Spanish. The final version will match Windows' supported languages.
There's still a little polishing left to do - a site report display from siteadvisor.com is still a little off, as it was in beta 3, for example - but Microsoft says Web site owners should start using this version to test their sites. Depending on feedback and bug reports, there may be another release candidate version before we see the final version later this year.
If you're already using an IE7 beta, there's no reason not to grab RC1. If you're still using IE 6 for some reason, keep in mind that when IE7 is finished, Microsoft will be distributing it as a high priority update via Automatic Updates.
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As a typical user of IE, I just simply have too many issues with Firefox to use it as a browser. I am also not a fan of Opera, with display issues in XP as well. The RC 1 of IE 7 has been a fantastic upgrade. So far I've had zero performance problems and have been reaping the benefits of a well upgraded and much overdue release. Hopefully Vista will match the quality.
After downloading Explorer 7, the beta 3 version, I switched to Firefox because of the annoying blocking of most of the links to another site or article within the same website. CONTROL CLICK ... CONTROL CLICK ... CONTROL CLICK ... how many times can you take it? The tabbing is a silly idea ... most of the time I need to see both pages at the same time ... and I don't want to open a new page in a tab ... I am sure there is an answer somewhere.
And the new toolbars are taking too much of my screen (18") and why move the home button to the other side?
I am trying to think what I like ... ?
I gave it a good shot, but the beta version simply CANNOT handle security in a flexible and intuitive manner. Because it's also the engine behind progs like Windows Media Player, Napster and Yahoo Music Engine, these shortcoming wreak havoc with accessing things like streaming music. It's a hassle. NOT RECOMMENDED for music lovers. Plus, it simply cannot match, in any way, the extensions Firefox has.
With add-ons and plug-ins getting ever more fanciful, I would rush to dump this wretched bug-ridden and mist-fragile Explorer, but for the single attribute to which I am addicted - the right click "Shortcut to Desktop". Why can't I find this on other browsers?
This past Sunday, I played with the IE7 RC off and on all day.
It is clear that lots of work has gone into this browser, but I am not sure that it was all successful.
The interface, or theme, is very very colorful. I have never seen a basic browser install with such a colorful theme. If one wanted color and contrast with Mozilla, Firefox, Seamonkey, or Netscape 8, one needed to go get it at a ?Theme Park?, ?inhabited? by people who get off on making colorful themes. I even had my own theme done for me for Netscape. I mean, it was a variation on a theme, but it was mine.
The tabbed browsing is klutzy. Everything that one does with one click in the Gecko browsers takes two clicks in IE7. You *can not* just close out a tab and wind up with a blank page. You *must first* open a new unused tab. You *can not* open a tab as a group right from the Favorites vertical menu. You *must first* go to a side bar and click on a separate configuration of your Favorite folder for that group,