Microsoft commits to a new preview test build of IE10 for Windows 7 in November

It's been almost a year and a half since Microsoft released a test build of Internet Explorer (IE) 10 for Windows 7. Since that time, Microsoft officials have refused to comment as to why there were no further builds or when a final version of IE10 for Windows 7 would be available.

On October 17, there was finally a ray of hope for those IE10 loyalists wanting Microsoft's latest browser on Windows 7. In an IEBlog post, Microsoft officials said a new preview of IE10 for Windows 7 would be out some time in November 2012.

Microsoft delivered its most recent preview of IE10 for Windows 7 in June 2011.

There's no updated word as to when the final IE10 for Windows 7 will be out. But at least there's finally official confirmation the product is still alive.

A leaked Microsoft roadmap from late last year led some of us to believe Microsoft was planning to deliver IE10 for Windows 7 at the same time as IE10 for Windows 8 was released to manufacturing. But that turned out not to be the case.

IE10 for Windows 8 will be generally available on October 26, as it is built into Windows 8.

Update: This just in from my ZDNet colleague Ed Bott: The coming November preview is a full browser with the UI. This isn't just another developer preview, according to Microsoft officials.