Microsoft is adding a commonly requested feature — spell-checking — to Internet Explorer (IE) 10.
The new feature is part of the already-released IE 10 developer previews, but Microsoft called it out and explained it in detail in a November 8 posting on the IEBlog.
While Microsoft execs have said they plan to make spellchecking support available to applications across the entire Windows 8 operating system, including IE 10, the IE team also plans to add spell-checking to IE 10 on all supported versions of Windows (meaning Windows 7, too), according to the post.
IE 9 doesn’t include spell-checking. That lacking feature is cited by more than a few users as one reason they aren’t using IE 9. But because IE 10 will be the version of IE bundled with Windows 8, which will be optimized for touch input, spell checking is no longer taking a back seat.
From today’s IEBlog post authored by Travis Leithead, a Program Manager with Internet Explorer:
“When using a device without a physical keyboard, providing a great text input experience is even more important. Windows 8 provides several capabilities to make text input great on any device, and spellchecking is one of them.”
Microsoft also is touting IE 10 as being “the first browser-based implementation of auto-correct.” (A screen capture of that feature is included in my post above. Click on the image to enlarge it.)
Leithead’s post also includes a link to the languages that will be supported with IE 10 spellchecking. Users will be able to spellcheck in multiple languages as well.
Microsoft officials have not said when the company plans to release its various final versions of IE 10. Windows 8 includes a Metro version of IE 10 as well as a Desktop version that allows plug-ins. There’s also the separate aforementioned version of IE 10 for Windows 7 coming, too.
