Internet Explorer 9

[mario_sunny]

What does everyone think of the new Internet Explorer 9? For those of you who don't know, the open beta was released recently and can be downloaded here.

 

At first I thought it was just another Vista (in other words, a useless carbon copy of its predecessor), but it turns out its received a nice little overhaul. Basically, Microsoft took all the good features from all the other browsers, and included them in IE9.

 

Sorry IE haters, looks like the competition is heating up again.

 

Features I noticed...

 

• The search box and URL box have been combined. Chrome had this.
  
• The browser is extremely clean. The design is flawless and all the cluttery toolbars have been removed, and the icons have been compressed. Chrome had this as well.
  
• The browser now has pinned sites. Finally.
  
• On that note, you can now drag websites down to your task bar (Windows 7) and they will be pinned there. Nice for facebook and youtube.
  
• Videos seem to load faster in general. When I visited youtube, the videos were loading fast to a point where I didn't have to pause the video every 5 seconds as I sometimes have to do on certain large videos.
  
• Pages seem to load slightly faster. Sorry FF and Chrome. ;)

 

Cons...

 

• Getting random errors sometimes. Sometimes I have to close IE and restart it. Kinda annoying, but I'm sure they'll fix it when they release the full package.

[Riku3220]

I dislike Internet browser wars. It's all the same stuff when you get down to it.

[Giordano]

Lol@Microsoft's attempts.

 

Internet Explorer is a synonym for trash in my book.

 

This little page sums it up for me.

[Racheya]

We do actually have a technology forum here. Which is where I'm moving the thread to. The forum isn't just for tech help, which is a common misconception, it's for all technology discussion :)

 

And my opinion on this matter is just... Lol internet explorer.

[dsavi]

Anyone who thinks that IE is even in the browser wars anymore is delusional. Microsoft has singlehandedly done terrible damage to web standards and design. I wouldn't even consider using IE seriously unless it went open source (In other words never).

I dislike Internet browser wars. It's all the same stuff when you get down to it.

This is true to an extent. There are really two kinds of browsers: Internet Explorer and Everything Else. The difference is that Everything Else works.

 

Sorry IE haters, looks like the competition is heating up again.

What competition?

[Guy]

I'm going to stick with firefox for a variety of reasons, including addons and the fact that internet explorer is fail. :)

[Dax]

Hehe. IE9. I think it's funny they're still trying.

 

 

*Keeps using Firefox*

[Wingless]

I'll stick to Chrome thanks, IE sits next to the Recycle Bin for a reason.

[Tacos]

I find it funny to all the people who said fire fox is better. (also everything you do on chrome is sent straight to google, passwords etc.)

 

 

I remember seeing a speed test and virus test, IE beat firefox in both (being faster and more virus proof). This was around June.

 

 

I'll download this for email (because Opera doesn't work with my email).

[Dax]

I find it funny to all the people who said fire fox is better. (also everything you do on chrome is sent straight to google, passwords etc.)

 

 

I remember seeing a speed test and virus test, IE beat firefox in both (being faster and more virus proof). This was around June.

 

 

I'll download this for email (because Opera doesn't work with my email).

 

Google owns everything, man. That's why you become Googlist, you accept it.

 

And there is no way that IE would beat Firefox in either speed or virus tests. No way in hell.

[OldJoe]

Looks quite nice. As i'm not a web-designer i won't complain about compatability, my beef with IE is that there's very little in the way of customization. Anyways, you can always hope it will cover a few more security holes.

On the design, i don't like that big back-button, it's the same deal on firefox... I don't understand why. I hate it. I have small icons on firefox due to it.

[obfuscator]

Just out of interest, have any of the IE haters actually tried IE9, or are they just predisposed to hate it?

 

I've tried it - it's a huge improvement over their previous attempts. The UI is a bit cleaner (I still prefer chrome) and it's significantly faster. Notably, the javascript engine is far superior to any other browser. Chrome was the second best in the javascript tests, and firefox failed hardcore.

 

I don't think I'lll switch, I've gotten really comfortable with chrome. Still, it'll be nice to not have to use IE8 ever.

[dsavi]

I find it funny to all the people who said fire fox is better. (also everything you do on chrome is sent straight to google, passwords etc.)

I can't respond to the first part without sounding very condescending indeed.

The second part, however, I can confirm is nothing more than a myth. A couple of reasons:

1. Google Chrome is Google's distribution of the open source Chromium browser, meaning that any such privacy invasion would be discovered in the code and widely reported.
   
2. Google has made it very clear in Chrome's EULA that no information outside of Google's own pages, say Gmail, is sent to Google and they claim no right to it.
   

I remember seeing a speed test and virus test, IE beat firefox in both (being faster and more virus proof). This was around June.

It would be nice to see your sources. I'm not disputing your first claim very much- I remember seeing speed tests in which IE9 beat Firefox by a small margin- but your second claim doesn't seem to have much ground to stand on.

 

However, there's something I would like to note. Even if IE9 starts to outperform Firefox/Chrome/Opera/Safari, there's a good reason. IE9 was one of the first browsers to introduce GPU-accelerated web browsing. What this means is that the existing Trident engine isn't actually optimized, it's just being run on really fast hardware. So when Chrome, Firefox, etc. get around to finishing their GPU acceleration, their cleanly implemented, modern engines will blow IE off the face of the Earth.

[Sbrideau]

dsavi, at the beginning of Chrome, it was in the EULA that everything was sent to google. They removed it after seeing the outrage of people.

 

At first I thought it was just another Vista (in other words, a useless carbon copy of its predecessor)

 

Very very bad analogy, Vista SP1+ is actually very good.

[dsavi]

Google has made it very clear in Chrome's EULA that no information outside of Google's own pages, say Gmail, is sent to Google and they claim no right to it.

[The Runar]

Notably, the javascript engine is far superior to any other browser. Chrome was the second best in the javascript tests, and firefox failed hardcore.

 

My computer is fast enough that there's no visible difference between different browsers. Tests say (tested myself) that Chrome is much faster than Firefox, but I see no difference, because they're both so fast. I'm almost 100% sure that IE9 wouldn't have any visible difference either, though because I usually use Linux, it doesn't really even matter. And I prefer having javascript disabled anyway, because that actually increases the speed.

[Assume Nothing]

I like Chrome > Firefox > IE. This thread doesn't change it for me.

[obfuscator]

Notably, the javascript engine is far superior to any other browser. Chrome was the second best in the javascript tests, and firefox failed hardcore.

 

My computer is fast enough that there's no visible difference between different browsers. Tests say (tested myself) that Chrome is much faster than Firefox, but I see no difference, because they're both so fast. I'm almost 100% sure that IE9 wouldn't have any visible difference either, though because I usually use Linux, it doesn't really even matter. And I prefer having javascript disabled anyway, because that actually increases the speed.

It's probably because you haven't tried a really intensive JavaScript rendering test.

 

Try loading this site in chrome, ff, and IE9: http://ie.microsoft.com/testdrive/Performance/AsteroidBelt/Default.html

[Assume Nothing]

Notably, the javascript engine is far superior to any other browser. Chrome was the second best in the javascript tests, and firefox failed hardcore.

 

My computer is fast enough that there's no visible difference between different browsers. Tests say (tested myself) that Chrome is much faster than Firefox, but I see no difference, because they're both so fast. I'm almost 100% sure that IE9 wouldn't have any visible difference either, though because I usually use Linux, it doesn't really even matter. And I prefer having javascript disabled anyway, because that actually increases the speed.

It's probably because you haven't tried a really intensive JavaScript rendering test.

 

Try loading this site in chrome, ff, and IE9: http://ie.microsoft.com/testdrive/Performance/AsteroidBelt/Default.html

 

Hmm, might consider it for typeracer, but I don't even hit 200wpm yet, so no point trying. What about Addon's, is IE9 superior to FF in that sense? Google chrome is 'sleek' and fast, not sure why I should switch to IE (also noted for most virus/firewall exploits)

[The Runar]

Notably, the javascript engine is far superior to any other browser. Chrome was the second best in the javascript tests, and firefox failed hardcore.

 

My computer is fast enough that there's no visible difference between different browsers. Tests say (tested myself) that Chrome is much faster than Firefox, but I see no difference, because they're both so fast. I'm almost 100% sure that IE9 wouldn't have any visible difference either, though because I usually use Linux, it doesn't really even matter. And I prefer having javascript disabled anyway, because that actually increases the speed.

It's probably because you haven't tried a really intensive JavaScript rendering test.

 

Try loading this site in chrome, ff, and IE9: http://ie.microsoft.com/testdrive/Performance/AsteroidBelt/Default.html

 

Wow, this certainly changed everything. Chrome runs it at 1 FPS and Firefox at full 60 FPS. (wtf? :blink: )

 

I should try it with IE9, but I'm too lazy to boot into Windows :razz:

[obfuscator]

Notably, the javascript engine is far superior to any other browser. Chrome was the second best in the javascript tests, and firefox failed hardcore.

 

My computer is fast enough that there's no visible difference between different browsers. Tests say (tested myself) that Chrome is much faster than Firefox, but I see no difference, because they're both so fast. I'm almost 100% sure that IE9 wouldn't have any visible difference either, though because I usually use Linux, it doesn't really even matter. And I prefer having javascript disabled anyway, because that actually increases the speed.

It's probably because you haven't tried a really intensive JavaScript rendering test.

 

Try loading this site in chrome, ff, and IE9: http://ie.microsoft.com/testdrive/Performance/AsteroidBelt/Default.html

 

Wow, this certainly changed everything. Chrome runs it at 1 FPS and Firefox at full 60 FPS. (wtf? :blink: )

 

I should try it with IE9, but I'm too lazy to boot into Windows :razz:

 

Really? When I did it I got 20ish with chrome and 5 with FF.

 

Bear in mind though, as others have said, IE9 utilizes the gpu. Once chrome and FF start to do so we'll probably see major changes.

[The Runar]

Notably, the javascript engine is far superior to any other browser. Chrome was the second best in the javascript tests, and firefox failed hardcore.

 

My computer is fast enough that there's no visible difference between different browsers. Tests say (tested myself) that Chrome is much faster than Firefox, but I see no difference, because they're both so fast. I'm almost 100% sure that IE9 wouldn't have any visible difference either, though because I usually use Linux, it doesn't really even matter. And I prefer having javascript disabled anyway, because that actually increases the speed.

It's probably because you haven't tried a really intensive JavaScript rendering test.

 

Try loading this site in chrome, ff, and IE9: http://ie.microsoft.com/testdrive/Performance/AsteroidBelt/Default.html

 

Wow, this certainly changed everything. Chrome runs it at 1 FPS and Firefox at full 60 FPS. (wtf? :blink: )

 

I should try it with IE9, but I'm too lazy to boot into Windows :razz:

 

Really? When I did it I got 20ish with chrome and 5 with FF.

 

I just remembered that Arch Linux has a customized version of FF, so maybe this one has GPU rendering enabled? I'm not sure about that though :| I wonder if there is an easy way to check that?

[obfuscator]

I retested - chrome got 1 fps and FF pulled off 15. They've updated chrome a lot over the past few months, perhaps that has something to do with it...

[The Runar]

I retested - chrome got 1 fps and FF pulled off 15. They've updated chrome a lot over the past few months, perhaps that has something to do with it...

 

I'm running Chrome 5 beta, maybe I should update? :lol: I didn't even think of that before :P

[Smapla]

how does it do on the acid tests?