The updates -- part of the much broader Windows XP Service Pack 2 release -- are largely focused on fixing the succession of security flaws that have surfaced in recent months, along with adding a few new features.
But renewed competition in the browser market, along with recent calls by Microsoft for higher levels of customer feedback, have led to speculation online that a bigger browser update might be on the way. It has been three years since Microsoft released a new, full version of its browser, and a growing chorus inside the Web development community has said the slow pace of updates has held back online innovation.
"Internet Explorer hasn't been updated in three years, whereas every other browser has been updated in the last six months," said Robert Dumas, a freelance Web developer from Long Island, New York, and one of many who have pushed Microsoft for new features. "A company like Microsoft shouldn't have the least-capable browser."
However, the company reiterated this week that it does not plan a new version of Internet Explorer until it releases the next version of Windows, code-named Longhorn.
"At this time, there are no plans to release a new, stand-alone version of IE," a Microsoft spokesman said. "The current plan is to make new IE features available with major Windows releases ... Aligning IE updates more closely with Windows releases benefits customers by minimising the number of updates to deploy and service."
Microsoft's Internet Explorer has dominated the digital world since shortly after America Online's purchase of Netscape in early 1999. Critics have said that the resulting lack of competition has resulted in stagnant Web browser technology for the PC, even while other platforms have expanded.
Microsoft has countered its critics by saying the browser is not a stand-alone piece of software any longer and that there are substantial innovations happening across the Windows operating system, including browser functionality that is not immediately obvious to the end user.
The last full release of Internet Explorer was in 2001, with the launch of the 6.0 version. It was updated slightly with the Windows XP Service Pack 1 release in 2002 and with the additional changes this week.
Where's 7.0?
That "only in Windows" message has been consistent for several years. But several recent factors have sparked speculation that Microsoft might be moving toward releasing a 7.0 version before Longhorn hits the market, after all.
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