A faster, better and an enhanced browser awaits you: Internet Explorer 9

Microsoft launched the preview code of the underlying rendering engine of the Internet Explorer 9 at the MIX10, the company’s developer conference on Tuesday in Las Vegas. The primary focus areas for the new browser are improved speed, and support for new Web standards, particularly HTML 5 and Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG)

Microsoft is showcasing IE9 via software called Internet Explorer 9 Platform Preview accompanied with a Test Drive site which consists of sample content for viewing in the Platform Preview or any browser. What you see would be a toned-down version which will only be able to render content.

There are a lot of new features that IE9 brings along (will write in the most simplistic manner I can):

• Hardware acceleration – The new browser will use Microsoft’s DirectX technologies which are recognized for being a ‘gamers paradise’ i.e. it will help the browser display high-quality text and graphics faster. Do check out the video in the Platform Preview, it includes an amazing demo in which oversized icons for the major browsers fly around the screen in formation at high speed. You will forget other browsers!
• HTML5: IE9 will support HTML5 that will allow web sites to deliver the rich interactivity associated with Adobe Flash and Microsoft SilverLight without using plug-ins. It will also allow browser to display videos with ease
• Scalable vector graphics – SVG is a Web standard for displaying line-oriented images like drawings, charts, and architectural drawings with any resolution and without any glitches. IE9 has successfully managed to capture SVG and if this works well should be a major crowd puller. Simply put, no images or charts will be pixilated in your browser now!
• Faster JavaScript: IE9 works on a new JavaScript engine called Chakra, which compiles scripts on the fly so it can run them much faster.

The features seem to be bang on and this seems to be a well thought out move by the technology giant…whether Microsoft has got it right or not, remains to be seen!