If you’re using an older version of Internet Explorer, you’ll be happy to know that the latest version, Internet Explorer 10, will soon be available. You can get Internet Explorer 10 either by upgrading to Windows 8 or by downloading it from Microsoft’s website once it becomes available to download.
There are two versions of IE10, both of which come bundled with Windows 8: a traditional desktop browser, and a Metro-style, touch-friendly browser. The former is fully extensible with third party add-ons and plug-ins, whereas the latter relies on HTML5 technology in lieu of plug-in support and focuses primarily on app content to increase battery life and enhance performance. This makes the Metro-style browser ideal for tablets and other mobile devices, although it can just as easily be used on a desktop computer.
New Features of Internet Explorer 10
Adobe Flash 11.3. Adobe Flash 11.3 is built directly into Internet Explorer 10 as integrated code, as opposed to merely being an add-on or a plug-in. In the Metro version of Internet Explorer 10, only key features of Flash 11.3 are included to enhance performance and prolong battery life, and also for security issues.
Flip Ahead. Flip Ahead is a feature that enables users to easily move through search results and articles that span multiple pages without having to hunt for the “next” button/link. This feature works well for these types of pages, but it does not work on all pages. By default, Flip Ahead is disabled; when it is enabled manually, your browsing history is sent to Microsoft for the purpose of improving your overall experience. Flip Ahead is available in both the desktop and Metro-style versions of Internet Explorer 10.
Internet Explorer 10 is also the first version of Internet Explorer to feature integrated spellcheck and autocorrect.
Metro-style Browsing
In the Metro-style version of Internet Explorer 10, browsing is made even simpler with the use of navigation tiles. These tiles identify websites by icon and color, thereby enabling users to quickly access their most-visited sites.
The navigation bar and tool icons appear only when you need them, which provides greater focus on the actual websites. While the Metro version of Internet Explorer 10 doesn’t offer plug-in support, there is a “use desktop view” command to access apps and websites that require plug-ins such as ActiveX controls. When Flip Ahead is enabled in the Metro-style browser on a touch-friendly device, it is used with the familiar right-to-left swipe, enabling users to easily move between multiple pages in articles and other such documents.
HTML5 Technology
As mentioned earlier, the Metro-style version of Internet Explorer 10 relies on HTML5 technology in order to maintain a focus on app content. HTML5 is the latest revision of the HTML (hypertext markup language) standard. Simply put, HTML5 is an integration of HTML, CSS (cascading style sheets), and JavaScript. HTML5 has been designed to be compatible with older versions of HTML. This is good news, because the HTML5 technology is still being developed.
One of the most notable features of HTML5 is the introduction of the and elements. Streaming audio and video has become increasingly common on webpages; in HTML5, embedding audio and video files is as simple as embedding an image file in older versions of HTML. No third-party codecs or plug-ins need to be installed!
A more detailed list of the main features of HTML5 can be found here.
Test Drive
If you’re running Internet Explorer 9, demos, videos, and an Internet Explorer 10 preview download are all available here.
