Microsoft Ships Internet Explorer 7 Beta 3

Today, Microsoft shipped Internet Explorer (IE) 7 Beta 3, the latest version of its upcoming Web browser for Windows Server 2003, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, and XP. IE 7 Beta 3 includes new features as well as the IE fixes that Microsoft made available during its June 2006 security patch release.

"We described the April 2006 Beta 2 release of Internet Explorer as feature complete," Gary Schare, director of Windows product management, told me recently during a briefing. "But based on feedback, we were able to make a number of changes, including some that will be visible to users."

The biggest new feature is the ability to drag and drop browser tabs, which lets users change the position of tabbed Web documents. "It's like dragging a slide in PowerPoint," Schare said, noting that the feature applies only to the typical browser display mode. "You won't see it in Quick Tabs, which is a static view." Microsoft also brought back the Send Mail toolbar button, made minor RSS changes, fixed a lot of things under the hood, and prettied up some icons.

IE 7 Beta 3 is a free download, although users will need to uninstall Beta 2 first. My review of IE 7 Beta 3 is now available on the SuperSite for Windows.

http://www.itprotoday.com/article/reviews/internet-explorer-70-beta-3-review.aspx