Internet Explorer 7.0 to Include Tabbed Browsing

[Hyperion]

Internet Explorer 7.0 to Include Tabbed Browsing

by Scott Bekker

May 17, 2005

Internet Explorer 7.0 will include the tabbed browsing feature already present in several rival browsers, including Firefox, Opera and Netscape, Microsoft developers confirmed this week.

"Yes, IE7 has tabs," said Internet Explorer product unit manager Dean Hachamovitch, who then cautioned customers not to expect much in the technical beta of IE 7.0 scheduled for mid-summer. "The tabbed browsing experience in the upcoming IE7 beta is pretty basic. Expect additional end-user functionality to come in after the beta."

IE 7.0 is a new version of the world's most-used browser that will work on computers running Windows XP Service Pack 2. Until recently, Microsoft had not planned to release a new version of Internet Explorer until the next version of Windows, code-named "Longhorn." In February, however, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates unveiled plans for the new version of IE.

With the original announcement, Microsoft limited discussion of technologies coming in the new version to security enhancements. Even late last month at the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference, IE product managers deflected questions about tabbed browsing, which is one of the most popular features of rival browsers, especially the surging Firefox browser.

Hachamovitch made his comments this week in a posting on Microsoft's official IEBlog. Hachamovitch reiterated the team's security focus in his discussion of tabbed browsing. "The main goal for tabs in our beta release is to make sure our implementation delivers on compatibility and security," he wrote.

Hachamovitch suggested complexity and consistency concerns led to Microsoft's original decision not to include tabbed browsing in IE a few years ago. "Will it confuse users more than it benefits them? Is it confusing if IE has tabs, but other core parts of the Windows experience, like Windows Media Player or the shell, don’t have tabs? I think we made the wrong decision here initially, and we’re making the right one now," he said.

In the same post, Hachamovitch pointed out that users with older versions of Windows currently have options for tabbed browsing through third-party plug-ins and toolbars. He also said the MSN toolbar will be updated in the next few months to support tabbed browsing within IE.

Other confirmed features of IE 7.0 so far include support for the alpha channel in PNG images and an effort to fix Cascading Style Sheet consistency problems.

Tabbed browsing being such an awesome feature, this really doesn't come as much of a surprise to me.

[Shoyru_Lover]

Hmm interesting. Also note how it's ENT News... EVIL NEOPETS TEAM News lololol

[o_0]

Wow. Tabbed browsing...

Still doesn't match Mozilla.

[Trick]

Yay, for finally supporting png images, took them long enough. As for tabbed browsing - "it's like firefox now but still with all the downsides of explorer for your enjoyment".

Fab

[Olivia]

Wow. Tabbed browsing...

Still doesn't match Mozilla.

Yeah. No security holes in good 'ol Mozilla.

[Qanda]

I would refuse to use any browser without tabbed browsing, after using Firefox. In fact, I would rather use a slighly less secure browser with more features than a secure one with less features.

IMO Microsoft is emphasising too much on security and too little on features. If it wants to outshine rivals like Firefox it has to work on features too.

[Dragonfire]

Wow. Tabbed browsing...

Still doesn't match Mozilla.

Yeah. No security holes in good 'ol Mozilla.

Well, there are security holes in Firefox, as all browsers do, but they're not as big and not as exploited as IE's.

[Shifty]

The main reason I switched to mozilla was because of the tabs. And IE took forever to open a new window, but maybe with tabs it won't be so bad.

[Shoyru_Lover]

I might switch back.. i.e. looks.. nicer imo...

[Hunter Lupe]

Yeah. No security holes in good 'ol Mozilla.

http://secunia.com/product/3256/?period=all (Firefox)
http://secunia.com/product/3691/ (Mozilla)

http://secunia.com/product/11/ (IE)

IMO Microsoft is emphasising too much on security and too little on features. If it wants to outshine rivals like Firefox it has to work on features too.

Yeah, where's the "Get me my coffee" button?

That one is a bit tough -- if they started integrating live RSS feeds, newsreaders, IRC chat functionality into IE... the world would scream "THEY ARE EXPLOITING A MONOPOLY! STOP IT!!!"

[sparkygoesforth]

That one is a bit tough -- if they started integrating live RSS feeds, newsreaders, IRC chat functionality into IE... the world would scream "THEY ARE EXPLOITING A MONOPOLY! STOP IT!!!"

Hey, that's never stopped them in the past!

I'd never used tabbed browsing till I got Firefox a few months ago. Now I can't live without it, and get very annoyed when using IE & I can't click on the mouse wheel to open a new tab. Best feature in Firefox without a doubt, it was only a matter of time before Microsoft 'adopted' (read: copied) it.

[everconfused]

I had read about this on Cnet a month or so ago, there was a discussion on Firefox vs. IE, which was better, etc.

I don't know many browsers that are really immune to bad stuff. In fact, Cnet did report that there is specific spyware being created for Firefox and it should be expected by summer. And if there were no security holes, why does Spywareblaster have a Mozilla/Firefox section?

Anyway, the new IE browser is supposedly more of a stand alone (like all the other browsers) and it is supposed to be better. But it is only for XP SP2. If you don't have that, then you can't use the new browser!

So, I just hope for all of us who still do use IE, even if it's just for some things, don't get the short end of the stick -- that Microsoft keeps up with their updates for the rest of us.

[Trick]

Firefox does have security holes, all browsers do. All software does, it's practically impossible to create a complex piece of software that can't be exploited in some way. But the good thing about firefox is that with it being open source and all, these holes are found sooner and more importantly are fixed quicker.

The fact that new spy/ad-ware is being thought up for firefox in particular just goes to show how popular the browser is now a days. It's a shame that it took a bit of competition for microsoft to attempt to make IE a better browser, but at least it's finally not just expecting people to use IE outright.

I do like microsoft, I much prefer using XP to any of the unix types or mac OS's but I can't see myself ever changing back to using IE. Even now when I use it briefly for windows updates or checking my website designs I have to run spybot and adaware as a matter of course afterwards. And then there's how often it crashes, meh. Unless firefox becomes worse than IE I won't be changing back but I am very happy about IE finally supporting png images, that will make my life a whole lot easier

Overall it's good that IE users will be getting a better browser but I don't see firefox users on the whole returning to IE any time soon. But competition is always good - it will help make everyones browsers better

[Dragonfire]

That one is a bit tough -- if they started integrating live RSS feeds, newsreaders, IRC chat functionality into IE... the world would scream "THEY ARE EXPLOITING A MONOPOLY! STOP IT!!!"

Unless Microsoft made IE open-source first.

... Wait. What am I saying? Nevermnd.

[everconfused]

Apparently it was at least thought at first that the new IE7 would be standalone. This is the Cnet, February 1995 buz Report where I first read about the new IE

http://www.cnet.com/4520-6033_1-5666404.html