New Internet Explorer 9 Now Available For Download

The full release version of Internet explorer 9 is now available for download. The new Internet explorer 9 browser, which was launched by Microsoft today, comes with improved graphics handling, better security (to spot viruses and trojans) and privacy features that will see it become more competitive with the likes of Mozilla FireFox, Google Chrome and Safari. Perhaps its most notable privacy feature is its tracking protection that will enable users to limit the browser’s communication with certain Websites and keep information away from advertising firms that track users’ browsing habits.

Furthermore, IE9 offers new graphic capabilities and improved performance so as to provide users with immersive and rich experiences with hardware-accelerated text, video, and graphics that can help Websites perform as fast as installed applications on Windows-based computers. It’s simplified enhanced user interface contains only those controls that are essential for browsing, while notifications or messages are shown  within the flow so as to be less disruptive. Consequently, all notifications such as password messages and files’ download status now appear in the notification bar at the bottom of the browser thus reducing the number of dialog boxes experienced by the user.

In addition, search and navigation functionality is integrated into a single box so that users will be able to search for items from the address bar with auto-complete, search suggestions and direct search with Bing. The New Tab page has also been revamped to display the most frequently used websites by means of each site’s icon, an indicator that shows if the site is visited often or not and primary colours that will help users identify sites more easily.

As competition from other Web browsers and mobile devices (which are reported to carry up to 20% of Web traffic) increases, Microsoft hopes that the new Internet explorer 9 will help improve its dwindling browser market share.Current browsing share figures from Web analysis firm Net Applications estimate that Internet explorer has 56% global market share, FireFox 22%, Chrome 11% and Safari 6%.

Interested Web users who want to download the latest Internet explorer 9 Web browser should note that the program can only be used with Windows 7 and Vista.

Talking Point

What are your first impressions of the new Internet explorer 9?