Image: Internet Explorer 7 Beta 2 an easier installation than expected

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The download page looks innocent enough, but what's on that support page I wonder. Maybe I'd better look before I download.

Published: July 20, 2006 -- 14:49 GMT (07:49 PDT)
Caption by: Bill Detwiler
2 of 15 IE7 Installation

Hmm. I may have to spoof Web sites into thinking I'm using IE 6 to get it to work right. That doesn't exactly inspire confidence.

Published: July 20, 2006 -- 14:49 GMT (07:49 PDT)
Caption by: Bill Detwiler
3 of 15 IE7 Installation

Gulp! Here we go; there is no turning back now.

Published: July 20, 2006 -- 14:49 GMT (07:49 PDT)
Caption by: Bill Detwiler
4 of 15 IE7 Installation

Sheesh! I have to validate in order to install a beta version of a Web browser. Paranoid much?

Published: July 20, 2006 -- 14:49 GMT (07:49 PDT)
Caption by: Bill Detwiler
5 of 15 IE7 Installation

A beta with updates; this is going well.

Published: July 20, 2006 -- 14:49 GMT (07:49 PDT)
Caption by: Bill Detwiler
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Well, the deed is done and fingers are crossed.

Published: July 20, 2006 -- 14:49 GMT (07:49 PDT)
Caption by: Bill Detwiler
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One time questions -- I'm anti phising, so yeah that's okay.

Published: July 20, 2006 -- 14:49 GMT (07:49 PDT)
Caption by: Bill Detwiler
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Customer Experience Improvement Program? No thanks; if Microsoft can be paranoid so can I.

Published: July 20, 2006 -- 14:49 GMT (07:49 PDT)
Caption by: Bill Detwiler
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I skipped the tour -- I mean it is just a Web browser after all.

Published: July 20, 2006 -- 14:49 GMT (07:49 PDT)
Caption by: Bill Detwiler
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Well, the TechRepublic Web site seems to render just fine, so it can't be all bad can it? Note the new toolbar in IE7. I also like the fact that it integrated my Google tool bar from IE6.

Published: July 20, 2006 -- 14:49 GMT (07:49 PDT)
Caption by: Bill Detwiler
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Besides tabs, which everyone knows from Firefox, IE7 has a nifty tab thumbnail feature so I can see what each tab is pointing to -- not sure how I would use it, but it's a spiffy addition.

Published: July 20, 2006 -- 14:49 GMT (07:49 PDT)
Caption by: Bill Detwiler
12 of 15 IE7 Installation

The built-in RSS reader is a nice touch; I can retire my old RSS Reader.

Published: July 20, 2006 -- 14:49 GMT (07:49 PDT)
Caption by: Bill Detwiler
13 of 15 IE7 Installation

I can keep track of the latest TechRepublic articles and downloads from within a single application. I wonder what Apotheon's article is talking about -- let's click and find out.

Published: July 20, 2006 -- 14:49 GMT (07:49 PDT)
Caption by: Bill Detwiler
14 of 15 IE7 Installation

For my installation, IE7 defaulted to Google for searching the Web. I would have expected MSN, so that was a nice surprise. I can add connections to just about any search engine I want.

Published: July 20, 2006 -- 14:49 GMT (07:49 PDT)
Caption by: Bill Detwiler
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I show up in the oddest places. On Google, a search of my name returned a discussion of an article on reading POP3 accounts with Perl. The same search on MSN returned this discussion on creating a TechRepublic guild in the World of Warcraft. I'll let you decide which is more interesting.

Published: July 20, 2006 -- 14:49 GMT (07:49 PDT)
Caption by: Bill Detwiler

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I was wary of installing the beta version of Microsoft's Internet Explorer 7, but with the release of Beta 2 I decided to take the plunge and see if this new browser has more to offer then what is currently available. To my surprise, the installation was relatively painless, and to my amazement, I haven't found a Web page that will not render yet. Granted it has only been a day, but I have visited my usual places and I have no complaints. However, only time will tell if IE7 can make you forget about IE6, Firefox, Opera, and the rest.