Andre Yoskowitz
25 Jul 2013 23:23
Microsoft has made its Internet Explorer 11 browser available as a developer preview for Windows 7 users.
The browser will be built into the upcoming Windows 8.1, and then made fully available for Windows 7.
With over 700 million Windows 7 users in the world, keeping the operating system updated with the latest software is a key part of Microsoft's strategy.
While the versions are similar, the Windows 7 IE11 preview will be missing some of the features of its Windows 8.1 version.
ZD has those differences listed:
-In the Windows 7 version of IE11, the URL bar remains at the top of the browser (like it is with IE10 on Windows 7). IE11 for Windows 8.1 puts the URL bar at the bottom.
-Support for up to 100 simultaneously opened tabs per window isn't enabled in IE11 on Windows 7. (Officials said this is because IE11 on Windows 7 is a desktop/Win32 app, not a "modern"/Metro-Style one.)
-IE11 on Windows 7 won't support for premium video extensions like the 8.1 version does. "There are many solutions available for Windows 7 customers to stream and view protected content online, those methods will continue to function for customers," a spokesperson confirmed. (Read: Silverlight and Flash.)
-No support for Google's SPDY protocol (the precursor to HTTP 2.0) in IE11 on Windows 7. IE11 on Windows 8.1 does support SPDY.
-IE11 on Windows 7 will not support Enhanced Protected Mode browser security enhancements. (IE10 on Windows 7 didn't, either.)
-The UI Responsiveness tab is disabled in the F12 developer tools. However, support for this will be coming by the time the final version of IE11 for Windows 7 is released, thanks to "an update to the underlying Windows 7 platform."
Download it here: Internet Explorer 11 Developer Preview (64-bit)