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• October 19, 2006 •
Yesterday Microsoft finally released Internet Explorer 7 for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. Internet Explorer 7 was first announced by Microsoft chairman and chief software architect Bill Gates in a Keynote speech at the RSA Conference in San Francisco in February 2005. In those 20 months since, Microsoft released five betas and a release candidate to millions of users worldwide.
Internet Explorer 7 includes a great number of functionality and security enhancements compared to Internet Explorer 6, and finally catches up (feature wise) to Mozilla's Firefox browser which has been eating away at Internet Explorer's market share.
While Internet Explorer 7 includes significant end-user advancements, it was also designed with developers and IT managers in mind. Microsoft engineered Internet Explorer 7 for compatibility with existing Web sites by adhering to some of the most important standards for Web site development. Internet Explorer 7 also features improved manageability for enterprises through the enhanced support of Active Directory Group Policy, which enables IT managers to easily deploy and centrally manage the browser on each of the desktops in their network.
"We listened carefully to our customers and are delivering a safer browser that makes the tasks they do every day much easier," said Dean Hachamovitch, general manager of the Internet Explorer team at Microsoft.
Internet Explorer 7 setup will preserve your current toolbars, home page, search settings, and favorites and will not change your choice of default browser. You will also be able to roll back to Internet Explorer 6 by using Add/Remove Programs.
Automatic Update Distribution of IE7 by November 1
Microsoft will distribute Internet Explorer 7 via Automatic Updates as a high-priority update. First users who are already running Internet Explorer 7 pre-release versions will get the final version, a few weeks later Microsoft will move onto Internet Explorer 6 users. Microsoft will roll out to all Internet Explorer 6 users 'progressively' over a few months, so don't be surprised if you don't see the update right away (if you want you can download it now using the links below).
Unlike other high priority updates, Internet Explorer 7 will not be installed automatically. Instead, Automatic Updates will notify you when Internet Explorer 7 is ready to install by presenting a welcome screen. You can choose whether or not to install it; IE7 will not install without your consent. (screenshot) If you wish to prevent this download you can grab a free non-expiring blocker tool from the Microsoft Web site.
Internet Explorer 7 Downloads
Here are the download pages on Microsoft's site for the available versions of Internet Explorer 7 (English Language only for now):
Note that these pages also contain links to Release Notes and system requirements.
Other Language Versions
Microsoft will be releasing Internet Explorer 7 in all languages available for each version of Windows - twenty-four fully localized languages in total. In two to three weeks, Microsoft will ship the Arabic, Finnish, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish language versions. The remaining languages will be released in phases between November and January.
In addition to these full language versions, Microsoft will release the Multi-language User Interface (MUI) version in January and the fifty-five Windows XP Professional Language Interface Pack (LIP) versions of Internet Explorer 7 after that.
Microsoft to Provide Customer Support
Internet Explorer 7 for Windows XP is now available in English and runs on Windows XP Service Pack 2, Windows XP 64-bit Edition and Windows Server® 2003 Service Pack 1. Internet Explorer 7 will be made available in other Windows-supported languages over the coming weeks.
Microsoft will continue to provide consumers in North America running Internet Explorer 7 with unlimited phone support for installation and download issues at no charge until November 1, 2007. Free phone support is available in English Monday through Friday, 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. PDT, and on Saturday and Sunday from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. PDT by calling (866) 234-6020.
I'll post a review of Internet Explorer 7 in the next few days.
