Microsoft's new Spartan browser will support extensions

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 28 Jan 2015 10:54 User comments (7)

Last week, Microsoft announced its Internet Explorer successor, codenamed Project Spartan, a browser experience focused on the "modern web."

Spartan will include a new rendering engine for better performance, will allow you to use your finger (for touch displays) to annotate webpages (or a keyboard and mouse), will include a reading list to save content and sync to other devices, has a reading mode that clears away ads and other noise for easier reading, and will also have the voice activated personal assistant Cortana tech built right in.

In addition, it appears that Spartan will finally bring extension support. Spartan will launch with Windows 10 across PCs, tablets and smartphones.

Microsoft also appears to be testing ways for Chrome extension developers to port their popular extensions over to Spartan.

#AskIE @bdsams @jacobrossi @IE Yes. We're working on a plan for extensions for a future update to Project Spartan.
-- IE Dev Chat (@IEDevChat) January 27, 2015

Tags: Browser Microsoft Project Spartan

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7 user comments

128.1.2015 23:40

Menion

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It's a little late for all this, Sad that it takes a beating from Mozilla & Chrome for M$ to finally get on board.

229.1.2015 11:10

Clam_Up

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Junior Member

Originally posted by Menion:
It's a little late for all this, Sad that it takes a beating from Mozilla & Chrome for M$ to finally get on board.

This is Microsoft. Ten years from now they'll be getting loads of credit for having innovated the "modern" browser.

329.1.2015 13:00

hearme0

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Senior Member

Sadly enough, no matter what MS calls the next rendition of IE......it's still IE. Riddled with insecurities, slowness, lack of extensions, pop-ups galore, etc, etc, etc.

You can put lipstick on a pig but remember........it's still a pig and stinks!

429.1.2015 14:48

audvare

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Newbie

IE has already extension support (called BHOs; I have made some). The only thing is the API is pretty difficult if you are not already a Windows developer. Adding an extension layer similar to Chrome/Safari is a good move for Microsoft.

529.1.2015 15:57

Mrguss

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I just try to be as far as possible from IE aka "new" Spartan browser or wherever they wanna call it !

This message has been edited since its posting. Latest edit was made on 29 Jan 2015 @ 3:58

630.1.2015 11:31

SProdigy

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Senior Member

IE gets a bad wrap because of all of the various non-standard crap that the old versions, like IE6, supported when MS decided to not be standards compliant. That bit them in the behind and they've been playing catch up ever since.

I'm actually glad this is happening, because the further we can get from some of these versions of IE, the better for us web developers. It was just the other day I had someone complaining about a site rendering poorly in IE9 on XP! Upgrade people! That stuff isn't supported by anyone anymore!

730.1.2015 18:08

Mrguss

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Senior Member

Originally posted by SProdigy:
...I had someone complaining about a site rendering poorly in IE9 on XP! Upgrade people! That stuff isn't supported by anyone

When a Browser is not rendering correctly using Any OS. it means: The browser is Obsolete already.

Just try a Non-supporter browser on a new OS and see for yourself.
lol

This message has been edited since its posting. Latest edit was made on 30 Jan 2015 @ 6:11

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