Googling Google

Christopher Dawson, Sam Diaz and Matt Weinberger

Microsoft says IE9 faster than Chrome, but is it?

By | March 16, 2010, 1:32pm PDT

Today Microsoft announced their Internet Explorer 9 browser, or at least the technology behind it. The User Interface obviously isn’t finished, because they didn’t show anything on that front — just basically the rendering engine.

The big feature of their new browser is GPU accelerated HTML5 rendering. Microsoft showed some real-world examples of how IE9 blows away the competition (with a heavy emphasis on how Chrome just can’t compete in “rendering” speed). In the demos they showed, it does certainly seem that way, but to be honest, the demos they showed will (or should) never be implemented in real life.

If you ask me, GPU rendering simply doesn’t seem like anything that will change the game — sites that require GPU acceleration should just be redesigned.

Javascript, according to the slides, put Microsoft behind other major browser in javascript speed — though they are quick to point out that the difference is just a “blink of an eye” — but in my opinion, a blink of an eye for thinks that fast is longer than it sounds.

Do you have high hopes for IE9? Will hardware acceleration be a “game changer”? Or is it simply another gimick that fixes a problem which doesn’t exist?

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Topics

Garett Rogers has always had a deep interest in computers and the Internet, which led him to a degree in Computer Information Systems. He is currently employed as a programmer for iQmetrix.

Disclosure

Garett Rogers

Garett Rogers is employed as a programmer for iQmetrix, which specializes in retail management software for the wireless industry. He has no other formal associations with any software or hardware companies.

Biography

Garett Rogers

Garett Rogers has always had a deep interest in computers and the Internet, which led him to a degree in Computer Information Systems. He is currently employed as a programmer for iQmetrix, which specializes in retail management software designed specifically for the cellular and electronics industry.

Garett's journey into Google started with his employer asking him to "get a better rank on Google." Diving into search engine optimization sparked his curiosity for how things work and led him to create a blog dedicated to what interests him most--Google.

Talkback Most Recent of 23 Talkback(s)

  • Didn't take long for you to come up with an apology
    for Google, Garett.

    I guess your blog proves that it really is faster then Chrome.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    John Zern
    16th Mar 2010
  • RE: Microsoft says IE9 faster than Chrome, but is it?
    @John Zern Awesome! Screencap psds are always welcome. Snagged. Will credit. Thank you! discount ugg boots discount on uggs replica uggs
    ZDNet Gravatar
    3shao
    20th Sep
  • ZDNet Gravatar
    Adrian Kingsley-Hughes
    16th Mar 2010
  • MS is slowly withering away.. just like IBM has
    It will be relevant.. but not the player it
    once was.

    Google is stomping all over it.

    The speed tests for Java compiler show that
    Chrome and Opera are light years ahead of IE9.
    IE9 will carry all its intrinsic security flaws
    that date back to IE1.0. So even if MS with
    IE9 or IE10 make it in the ball park. Will
    most change... noway.. MS has a thing for
    bloat and useless bars that eat up screen real
    state... I wont advise anyone to go back to
    IE. Chrome works.. and it works great. MS
    still doesnt get it.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Uralbas
    16th Mar 2010
  • Not really.
    Not really. Google has search - but pretty much
    everything else Microsoft still has. Chrome is
    cool, but can it surpass Firefox and IE? Only
    time can really answer that. Firefox itself has
    troubles unseating IE, and a lot of people
    consider it "light years" ahead of IE.

    "IE9 will carry all its intrinsic security
    flaws that date back to IE1.0."

    Like what? What "intrinsic security flaws" does
    even IE8 have that dates back that far?

    "MS has a thing for bloat and useless bars that
    eat up screen real state..."

    You mean like . . . the Google toolbar?

    LOL!

    Hint: Pretty much every browser has the ability
    to add toolbars, and pretty much every company
    (Google included) wants to abuse it.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    CobraA1
    16th Mar 2010
  • I agree
    That comment is based on what the previous IEs have been, I dont even have IE installed on my PC nor in my Laptop, but I have to admit that we dont even know what it will posibly look like.

    So lets just wait and see.

    About toolsbars, which I simply hate, they are just as the same problem and just as annoying in both IE and FF. Thankfully chrome, opera and safari dont support them.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    hectormacias
    17th Mar 2010
  • Why don't you bloggers
    try following your boss, Larry D., as an example on how to write an actual story? Try doing some research, fact checking, use complete sentences/paragraphs.

    You can't just make statements like "If you ask me, GPU rendering simply doesn?t seem like anything that will change the game ? sites that require GPU acceleration should just be redesigned." and expect to be taken seriously by anyone who isn't already on your side of the argument.

    Follow your own thoughts to a conclusion instead of blurting out statements like that and then begging us to comment in the Talkback hoping that we will somehow make your "article/blog" more interesting than it really is.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Jared Neale
    16th Mar 2010
  • RE: Microsoft says IE9 faster than Chrome, but is it?
    "In the demos they showed, it does certainly seem that
    way, but to be honest, the demos they showed will (or
    should) never be implemented in real life."

    I'm not sure that I understand this statement, could you
    elaborate further? It seems to me that sites which deal
    with opacity will get a free speed bump, that is already
    the case with site today.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    tyrax
    16th Mar 2010
  • ZDNet Gravatar
    ericesque
    16th Mar 2010
  • Huh?
    "If you ask me, GPU rendering simply doesn?t seem like anything that will change the game ? sites that require GPU acceleration should just be redesigned."


    Huh? What's wrong with utilizing the GPU? It's there so why not use it?
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Cylon Centurion
    16th Mar 2010
  • Will you just LISTEN to yourself...
    The big feature of their new browser is GPU accelerated HTML5 rendering. Microsoft showed some real-world examples of how IE9 blows away the competition (with a heavy emphasis on how Chrome just can?t compete in ?rendering? speed). In the demos they showed, it does certainly seem that way, but to be honest, the demos they showed will (or should) never be implemented in real life.

    Seriously.. What the heck are you THINKING..? The stuff they're demoing in IE 9 is pretty cool and has the potential to oust that Swiss cheese of a browser plug in known as Flash. If HTML5 can deliver content SECURELY - then WTF does it matter if it uses the GPU or not.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Wolfie2K3
    16th Mar 2010
  • Agree totally (Except for tone)
    Take a look at http://experiments.instrum3nt.com/markmahoney/ball/#

    Unfortunately it doesn't work in the IE9 preview because it needs to
    launch a new window, and Microsoft have sensibly disabled this in the
    preview. Works flawlessly in Opera, Chrome, Firefox and Safari.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    webmaster@...
    17th Mar 2010
  • It's gonna be serious competition against Flash.
    "If you ask me, GPU rendering simply doesn?t
    seem like anything that will change the game ?
    sites that require GPU acceleration should just
    be redesigned."

    Today - yes.

    Tomorrow, or in the future? Heck, if the web
    became GPU accelerated, can you imagine the
    possibilities?

    Running games in the browser without Flash?

    Mac-like (or Office 2010-like) presentations in
    a browser?

    Web sites with cool (or gaudy) morphing UIs
    (again without using Flash)?

    Combine that with JIT-compiled JavaScript and
    SVG, and you've got serious competition for
    Flash.

    For all intents and purposes - it could
    seriously cripple the demand for Adobe/Flash.
    Flash is popular, but IMO mostly because
    there's not much competition. If this can
    compete with Flash, yeah it could be a
    game changer.

    Firefox is also looking at GPU acceleration:

    http://tech.icrontic.com/news/mozilla-adds-
    hardware-acceleration-to-firefox-3-7/

    "but in my opinion, a blink of an eye for
    thinks that fast is longer than it sounds."

    It can be especially important in code with a
    lot of recursion or loops. It'll be interesting
    to find out what ultimately becomes more
    important.

    I think it's JIT compiled, though, so it should
    still be plenty fast enough for real web
    applications.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    CobraA1
    16th Mar 2010
  • Seriously?
    I think there's one point to be made: This is a Tech Preview!
    ZDNet Gravatar
    clindhartsen
    16th Mar 2010
  • And MS thinks Chrome cannot use GPU
    Chrome, Firefox (which is already working on it), and everyone will add GPU acceleration within a short time-span. MS cannot claim a win by using tools that are available to competition as well!
    ZDNet Gravatar
    alokgovil
    16th Mar 2010

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