Tech Olive

For those still using Microsoft’s Internet Explorer web browser (or for those that are giving it a second chance), you’ll be happy to know that the release candidate for IE9 is now available for download on both x86 and x64 system running either Windows 7 or Vista. Download it here and let us know your thoughts!

[IE Blog]

We knew the long-awaited beta for IE9 would be releasing today, so there really doesn’t need to be a fancy introduction. Microsoft says that this beta is pretty much done, which means you shouldn’t come across many critical bugs. Redmond also claims that IE9 is far more flexible with HTML5, CSS3 and SVG2 standards. It’s also the only browser with full hardware acceleration. If you feel so inclined, download the IE9 Beta HERE and let us know what you think.

[Microsoft]

Microsoft announced today that the Internet Explorer 9 beta will be officially launching on September 15th and the company will be holding a neat little event in San Francisco to celebrate, but as far as the beta itself, there’s really no information about it yet. However, we do know that it will require either Windows Vista or 7 to use. Windows XP users are left in the dust. Not surprising, though. Microsoft has been trying to get people to stop using XP for a while now.

[Windows Team Blog]

I’m a man of multiple browsers and I’m sure many of you are too. Sometimes Firefox doesn’t always cut it and I have to move over to Chrome for a while. A big downfall with using multiple browsers is that your saved passwords and bookmarks on your favorite browser aren’t with another browser that you might switch over to every once in a while. This becomes a huge pain in the rear end, but the guys over at Tested mention a quick and painless way to sync your bookmarks and saved passwords using Xmarks. This powerful, yet simple plugin can sync bookmarks, saved passwords, and even opened tabs over multiple browsers and even over multiple computers. The plugin currently works with Firefox, Chrome, Internet Explorer, and Safari. We recommend you give it a try.

via [Tested]

At MIX10, Microsoft unveiled details of their ninth version of Internet Explorer. It’s only been in development for three weeks, so what Microsoft demoed was an extremely early IE9 build, but we got a sneak peek at HTML5 support, but Microsoft seems hesitant at the moment until HTML5 is actually a go. Their new Javascript engine seems to be catching up to Chrome and Firefox speed-wise, but still has yet to beat them. Improved CSS support will also be a focus, as well as hardware acceleration, which will use DirectX and the GPU to improve graphic and AJAX rendering.

It looks like Microsoft is finally stepping up to the plate with their browser. It’s still to early to tell if IE9 will be a contender and Microsoft hasn’t said anything about availability, but you can download a platform preview of IE9 here.

via [Download Squad]

UPDATE: In a Q&A session following the keynote, Dean Hachamovitch, General Manager of the IE team, has said that IE9 will not be supported in Windows XP.

According to NetMarketshare.com, Google Chrome is slowly stealing the limelight from Microsoft’s Internet Explorer and Mozilla’s Firefox. Chrome grew by 0.57-percent to claim 5.2-percent of the browser market share. On the other hand, IE fell by 0.51-percent and Firefox dropped 0.2-percent to end at 62.18- and 24.41-percent, respectively. Both Safari and Opera made little moves, changing by less than a tenth of a percent.

These are all just small changes, but it could be a spark that soon ignites a new browser war.

via [Mashable]

Because of the recent Google attacks, which apparently were accomplished due to an IE security flaw, the German government is telling all their citizens to say ‘auf wiedersehen’ to IE, specifically to versions 6, 7, and 8.

Microsoft is currently working on a fix and the German government will consider switching back to IE after the fix is initiated.

via [Mashable]

After Internet Explorer 8 was officially released by Microsoft at MIX09 last week, the new update for the Microsoft browser had a minimal market share increase. IE8′s average market share increased from 1.34% to 1.45% . It did manage to peak at 1.86% and now stands at 1.7%.

To compare, Google Chrome 1.0 gained about 0.1 percentage points next to IE8′s 0.52% gain on day of release. Firefox 3 gained 0.66 percentage points on the first day and 3.51 points over a two-day period.

There have been several claims about IE still being slow even with the new update. What do you think?

Internet Explorer General Manager Dean Hachamovitch announced the final release of Internet Explorer 8 today during his keynote at MIX09 in Las Vegas.

IE8 is available for Windows XP SP2 and SP3, Windows Server 2003 SP2, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Vista (RTM), SP1 and SP2.

Download it HERE.

When Firefox was first released, many got a hold of it realizing that it offered better security than Internet Explorer and that it featured tabbed browsing, which seemed to become an asset for web surfers. Microsoft then released IE7, which was drastically improved and held many of the same features as Firefox, including tabbed browsing. Loyal Firefox fans didn’t budge.

Firefox 3 is now mainstream and I will admit that it has noticeable flaws, but is considerably faster than previous versions. One of the biggest flaws in Firefox 3 is the handling of memory resources. Luckily, Firefox 3.1 is closely approaching its 3rd beta release (Feb. 2) and should have the memory bug taken care of by the final release. As far as IE8, the first release candidate was released today. Get it HERE.

With both IE8 and Firefox 3.1 in the making, which one will come out on top in the end? What do the betas say about the future of FF vs. IE? Will Firefox fans still be loyal, or will IE8 steal their hearts? I will leave you with these questions, and be prepared for a Firefox 3.1 vs. IE8 showdown! Both contenders plan to launch their final releases later this year.