Internet Explorer 9 is in the works, and the first preview is available for download. A working beta version of the browser isn’t available yet, but the preview allows you to test out some of the new features supported in IE9, such as
Check it out here:
http://ie.microsoft.com/testdrive/
Excellent, do we know if IE9 uses the Trident rendering engine or have they converted (as others have rumoured)? 
Looks like some details for IE9 are starting to come out…
They have a platform preview available for anyone interested. They’re finally starting to recognize the competition and take them on. And finally, some CSS3 and HTML5 support…
This is great but you have to have Vista SP2 or later to install it.
Doesn’t make sense for Microsoft to develop for XP anymore. By the time IE9 adoption is getting started XP will be out of even the extended support phase. Apple doesn’t make software for OS 9 anymore.
Please, someone, tell me this is a hoax…
Which is not something Microsoft wants to encourage. They should be developing new software exclusively for their new operating systems. XP will soon be unsupported software, which means no more security patches… plus, it’s a corporation, they should be giving you reasons to upgrade.
Still XP has by far a much more large user base than any other OS in the market. So IMHO, MS should develop IE9 for xp platform too, and I think they’l make it support XP too.
Let the time come we’l all come to know the reality instead.
So what if XP has still got a decent market share? It is old. Microsoft have no reason to support it. Actually, not making new software for old crap will help kill the old crap. Down with XP!
If there was a genie who gave me three wishes, one would IE using WebKit (or Steve Balmer deciding to give up on the browser and ship with Firefox/Chrome only).
The second wish would be for libraries like jQuery to be built in so they don’t need downloaded.
Third wish = ???
Finally, support for addEventListener. About bloody time! I hope it means they’ll ditch attachEvent entirely as well.
Interesting that they’re adding support for proper application/xhtml+xml, didn’t see that coming.
Firefox doesn’t deal too well with some of the animations, like the pulsating bubbles or flying images (there’s no way it’s my graphics), so it’s probably a good thing because it’ll encourage Mozilla to catch up with its JS speed.
Good for Microsoft, and I agree that it should not bother catering for XP, which like AlienDev says, is old.
Any guesses what kind of score will it have in ACID3? 
Yeah, right.
Suddenly XP is too old. How 'bout IE6. 
They rely on testing those new IE9 xhtml files in other browsers, 'coz of IE 6-8 downloading thing. And I still “blame” IE for me making friends with Tommy Olsson (hello Tommy, thanks again).http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?t=393445
So one more
You need, at least for the preview, Vista SP2 or 7. I believe that, just for a friggin’ browser, the price is too high. The others (FF, Op, Saf, Ch) don’t. So
So much bling for features a little browser does since a long time ago.
Who need’s IE9?
So my score for this lousy attempt from Microsoft is:
Way to go. Maybe tomorrow I’ll get an 18en wheeler just to get across the street for a coffee.
It’s so typical. They don’t see Google OS?
We need them to have better software (as in better then the one created in the past, that everyone is bumping on for years), if they expect us to buy extra for it. Now ppl have multiple options among browsers, and mature ones. What big companies will go the extra mile upgrading hardware just to get a semi software? For Microsoft big accounting numbers? Their still waiting for 7 SP1.
Maybe 7 is doing well, maybe it’s just smoke on the water. They need a reality check. Hope competition will give them one soon enough. They started doing now what others consider it history. So I’m sure they will fall behind again, even with this IE9.
What makes you say that?
Sounds great, I’ll download the test version and give it a go!
SVG has to be the most exciting thing to see on that list :tup:
I am really amazed that Microsoft is now developing Internet Explorer 9 and actually caring to make a good browser! I might switch over from Webkit based browsers and actually go to Internet Explorer 9!
Also, about windows XP:
Lack of supporting Windows XP is not only so that Microsoft can make more money but it is because developing programs (non web based) is really hard to make cross operating system compatible. But, this will help people move on to new operating systems and help software grow quicker.
XP is outdated, and it’s good that IE9 will have minimum system requirements. It might make people using outdated OS’s actually wake up and realise they need to upgrade to keep the latest security support, features etc.
Gosh people are never happy…
When Google phases out support for IE6 everyone jumps for joy
When MS decides to phase out support for XP, for a product that most likely won’t be released for years, people ***** about how many people still use XP.
Lots of people still use IE6, go ***** in the Google thread about them dropping support for that.