Microsoft's IE10 for Windows 7: Worth another try?
As I've noted in this blog several times over the past couple years, I have become a devoted Google Chrome user because Internet Explorer 9 on my Windows 7 PC is not up to snuff.
Yes, I have tried just about everything imaginable to fix this. I've disabled all add-ons. I've reinstalled the browser. I've called in the big guns from Microsoft, ZDNet and other shops to try to provide help. Nothing made IE9 running on Windows 7 on my UL30A laptop from ASUS run acceptably. In spite of all of Microsoft's benchmarks and claims to the contrary, Chrome starts up, opens sites faster and hangs less than IE9 on my current PC.
I am willing to see if IE10 will work any better on my current Windows 7 laptop. So I am downloading the new preview build -- the first Microsoft has released for IE10 for Windows 7 in over a year. Here's the download link for the latest IE10 for Windows 7 test build.
There's no word from the IE team as to why they went months and months with no new preview builds for this. (My guess would be the team was busy finalizing IE10 for Windows 8 and Windows RT and there are only so many resources to go around.) In mid-October this year, the team broke its silence and said another test build was on its way.
Unlike the other test builds, the new IE10 on Windows 7 preview build is meant for consumers, and not just developers, meaning it includes the new IE10 user interface. It also is optimized for touch first and includes improved security, performance and HTML5/CSS3 standards compliance, according to the Softies.
Microsoft is not providing a date as to when it expects to release the final version of IE10 for Windows 7. It's also not known if there will be additional preview builds before the final is out. Company officials say all of this will be determined by customer feedback.
Microsoft's IE marketshare on Windows has been either holding roughly steady or dropping, depending on which analysts you believe. Will IE10 on Windows 7 help Redmond grab a few more points? Time will tell....
Once you've downloaded the new IE10 for Windows 7 preview, I'd be interested in hearing your experiences. Please chime in below in the comments.