The latest version of Microsoft’s Web browser is now
available to the vast audience connecting to the internet on personal
computers running on the Windows 7 operating system.
The
redesigned browser, Internet Explorer 10, made its debut last month
when Microsoft released Windows 8, which makes dramatic changes to an
operating system that has been powering PCs for decades.
Internet
Explorer 10 initially is being introduced on Tuesday to Windows 7 users
in a “preview,” or test, mode. The new browser isn’t compatible with
XP, Vista and any other older Windows version.
Although
Internet Explorer 10 is supposed to process Web pages more quickly and
smoothly than its predecessors, it may have limited appeal to Windows 7
users.
That’s because Microsoft primarily designed
Internet Explorer 10 for tablet computers and other devices, including a
new breed of PCs that have touch-screen displays. Relatively few
Windows 7 PCs can be controlled with fingers on a display screen.
Microsoft
is hoping many website developers will download and install Internet
Explorer 10 on their Windows 7 machines and see the browser’s potential
for making online services more compelling and dynamic. If that happens,
more websites may include features that take advantage of Internet
Explorer 10’s full capabilities on the bevy of Windows 8 machines
expected to be sold during the next year, said Ryan Gavin, Microsoft’s
general manager for the browser.
Internet Explorer
10’s main purpose is to make viewing websites as enjoyable and
convenient as using applications tailor-made for specific mobile
devices.
For instance, when reading an article on a
news site, users of Internet Explorer 10 can just swipe across the
screen to continue reading the next page instead of having to scroll
down to click on a link, as most browsers require.