Microsoft Streamlines Browsing with IE9 Beta

Microsoft today released a beta version of Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) that promises to deliver on a new vision of site-centric browsing.

As part of Microsoft’s attempt to streamline the browsing experience, IE9 only shows the controls essential for browsing in the browser frame, leaving more screen space available to display the website being viewed.

Other "site-centric" features include several utilities carried over from the Windows 7 OS. For example, users can pin favorite sites directly to the Windows 7 taskbar, meaning they can access online content without first having to open the browser.

The "Jump Lists" feature lets users quickly perform common tasks by right-clicking a program icon to bring them up automatically, such as sending an e-mail, playing a song, or keeping tabs on breaking news. In addition, the integrated Windows 7 "Aero Snap" feature allows IE9 users to tear off tabs or place two sites side by side.

To aid graphics development, IE9 has shifted the rendering of graphics and text from the computer’s central processing unit, or CPU, to the computer’s graphics processing unit, or GPU. Microsoft says that the resulting hardware-accelerated text, video and graphics, combined with a new JavaScript engine, means websites can perform more like applications installed directly on a Windows computer.

Microsoft is releasing its new streamlined browsing experience in advance of the expected cloud-based Google Chrome browser, which promises to make Web browsing substantially faster and easier. IE9 does not harness cloud computing, but does reflect increasing market demand for a user-friendly browsing experience.

Microsoft is currently making the beta version of IE9 available for free download.