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Microsoft launches IE Developer Channel browser with early next-gen features

Microsoft is making available for download a first Developer Channel release of Internet Explorer, which provides an early sneak peek of some next-generation IE features.
Written by Mary Jo Foley, Senior Contributing Editor

Microsoft is making available to developers and users for download as of today, June 16, a first version of its Internet Explorer (IE) Developer Channel browser.

IEdevchannel

The Developer Channel release, available to Windows 7 Service Pack 1 and Windows 8.1 Update users with IE 11, provides an early look at the features Microsoft expects to provide in the next release of IE.

Here's how Microsoft officials described IE Developer Channel:

"Internet Explorer Developer Channel provides a sneak peek at Internet Explorer as it's being developed. It can run alongside and independently of IE11, and has all of the browser features that you love in IE11, as well as the latest platform features we’re working on."

Other browser vendors, including Google, Mozilla and Opera all offer similar Developer Channel releases.

Last month, Microsoft officials outlined some of the features it expects to deliver in the next version of IE (which may or may not be called IE12, but I'd assume that's the name). The "in development" list includes support for HTTP/2, the next version of the HTTP protocol; the Web Audio JavaScript programming interface; Media Capture for local audio/video device control; ES6 Promises (for easier/cleaner asynchronous programming) and more.

Microsoft made public its plans around upcoming features on its status.modern.ie site, which shows the status of Microsoft's support for current and evolving Web standards.

DC1, as the first release of the Developer Channel browser is known, is targeted specifically at developers. DC1 includes WebDriver, Gamepad, WebGL and F12 developer tool improvements, according to a Developer Channel frequently asked questions (FAQ) document.

DC1 also is a virtualized release, meaning it uses Microsoft's App-V client to run virtually alongside IE 11. Because this may create "a small performance hit," as the FAQ notes, Microsoft doesn't recommend using this release to measure site performance. The FAQ also notes that Microsoft officials haven't yet decided -- or are publicly acknowledging -- whether or not future Developer Channel releases will continue to use App-V client.

The downloadable Windows 7 version of IE Developer Channel 1 is here; the Windows 8.1 version is here.

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