Photo gallery: IE7 Beta 1

One of the first things you'll notice about Internet Explorer 7 is that is has a built-in search bar in the upper right-hand corner of the browser. You can use the search bar to search MSN, AOL, Ask Jeeves, Yahoo, or Google. What's unique about Google is that it recognises that you're using IE7 and invites you to make Google the default search engine (see the box highlighted in red), and if you click the button then Google prompts you to also install an add-on that connects to this IE7 search box.

Credit: CNET Networks

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Looks like just a Firefox rip-off Anonymous -- 30/10/05 (in reply to #120122585)

Most of those features are already present in Firefox 1.0.x and all but the Phishing detector and the "don't show raw RSS feed XML" feature are present in Firefox 1.5. (and they are only missing because they weren't ready in time)

Thanks, but I'll stick with Firefox. Of course, as a Linux user, I'd stick with Firefox anyway.

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yep it's firefox. Anonymous -- 31/10/05

yep it's firefox.
Why are they even bother themself width this?
Firefox is ready!

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ie7 Anonymous -- 31/10/05

It needs a total revamp. why not follow the office 12 interface.

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A comment to a comment Ink Taylor -- 02/11/05 (in reply to #120122632)

---while it may well look like Firefox, one can only hope it will work better, Firefox is not much cop in my opinion---

Well, Firefox is what you make of it. Themes and extensions give it the kick of a very large horse. But the core itself is quite powerful and is more standards compliant not to mention speedy.

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File/Edit/View/... underneath navigation and tabs looks awkward Mike Kenyon -- 02/11/05

I wonder what the motivation is for this. In every other Windows product, the Standard toolbar is at the top, right below the Title bar. Who's idea was this, and why? It's an *interesting* shift to say the least, and my Windows-trained eyes have a hard time coping, I'll admit.

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Counter Intuitive Anonymous -- 03/11/05 (in reply to #120122693)

Having the menu bar where it is is just ridiculous. Having it at the very top of the screen (ie. Mac OS X) is far more intuitive because directing your mouse to the top of the screen is easier than trying to pinpoint it somewhere close to the top, but not quite.

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... Anonymous -- 10/11/05 (in reply to #120122693)

They probably thought that by changing menu position noone will notice that its just a clone of FF ;)

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microsoft playing catchup now... subske -- 02/11/05

like the phishing functionality, but all other new functionality here has been out on firefox for quiet some time now... im sure a phishing extension will pop up soon for the fox...

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extension Anonymous -- 03/11/05 (in reply to #120122705)

"im sure a phishing extension..." That extension has already been around a while. A microsoft addict at work turned firefox almost because of it.

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Microsoft opening up??? Anonymous -- 02/11/05

Integration with google and a menu item for Yahoo Messenger! Thats new

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Methinks Firefox copy too Mofodude -- 03/11/05

Carbon copy. Rearrange toolbars in firefox and you get... IE7. Design something innovative, microsoft.

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YES! Soren -- 19/04/06 (in reply to #120122779)

You are SO right... as are all others. Get a grip MS!

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Firefox copied ideas too.... Anonymous -- 04/11/05

Let's not forget that a lot of Firefox's features were copied from the Opera browser.

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Thanks, but I will stick to Firefox Anonymous -- 05/11/05

Since using Firefox, I haven't had infection of spyware, will plan on keeping it that way. IE couldn't even manage to store my favourites in alphabetical order - jeesh!

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Microsoft simply copied Firefox Anonymous -- 08/11/05

Where's the orginality in this. You blatantlly(Microsoft)copy Firefox and put the IE symbol and call it your own. What a load of crap. Microsoft have got nothing original at all

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I'll stick with Firefox Sean Ellis -- 09/11/05

Sure, the Phishing thing's nice, but I'd rather have a local list of Phishing sites that's updated regularly, than send the URL of every site I visit to MS.

Plus, I get Adblock with Firefox - that alone justifies its existence in my book.

Bottom line: IE7 does not solve any problems for me, so what's my reason to switch back?

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lol, firefox copied ideas from Opera Skylon -- 09/11/05

Most of firefox's features were copied from Opera. The mozilla/firefox team just made their own users think that they invented those features instead of borrow it from another browser. Oh, bad...

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ie = money firefox = free Anonymous -- 10/11/05 (in reply to #120123065)

a) IE7 looks like a carbon copy of firefox, as has been said many times, and cosidering that you have to pay for IE7 (ie windows) and firefox is free firefox easily comes out on top.
b) IE7 costs money, therefore i should be new innovitive and the like, firefox is free, in my books free (open source) software is allowed to be a near enough copy of something else.

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Ah, so MSIE7 is just a copy of a copy? Leon Brooks -- 10/11/05 (in reply to #120123065)

Sometimes I wonder why Microsoft didn't just cut to the chase and buy Opera Software out. Pride and (ironically) NotInventedHere syndrome, I guess.

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Microsoft is playing catch-up Some Guy -- 10/11/05

Come on - I'm supposed to switch back to IE just because they copy Firefox? Thanks, but no thanks - I've also seen a beta copy of Vista and compared with OS X it's a piece of turd. Apple is going to eat Micro$oft's lunch for the remainder of this decade.

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about time, but is that it Anonymous -- 10/11/05

It does not bother me a bit that they have borrowed tabs from Opera (not FF btw). Tabbed browsing works a lot better in my mind, and just because someone else thought of it doesn't mean it shouldn't be done. Otherwise, we would have to credit Amiga for GUI.

The inline search, who really cares? If I did I can download the google toolbar right now for IE 6. I have it now in FF but never really use it, google is my homepage and the search box highlights by default, so I just type.

Wasn't really enough of a preview of RSS to know whether in the real world it is useful.

Phishing tools useful but not a feature that would make me switch

In short nothing too exciting was demonstrated. Sure you could release these changes as IE 6.1 or something but not a major generational release.

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What flattery! Daniel Kasak -- 11/11/05

Good to see Microsoft innovating to this extent - firefox has had these features in place since well before a 1.0 release. Of course, Firefox still doesn't support ActiveX scripting vulnerabilities and such, but for Linux users, this isn't too much of a hassle.

Great work, MS. Keep up the 'innovation' :)

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