Internet Explorer 7 is upon us

It has been two weeks since Microsoft launched the latest version of their web browser: Internet Explorer 7. For now it’s the English version, but I presume the Dutch one will come out soon as well. (Not that I know what to do with a Dutch version of anything. :p)

As soon as the thing hit the download page at Microsoft I was downloading the thing and installing it on my machine. Not that I am such a big IE fan; I have my practical reasons. Granted, I use it quite a bit, but I use FireFox just as much. I am not a zealot for Linux or Windows, FireFox or IE; I believe any piece of software has its niche.

But I digress.

Like I said I have my practical reasons for installing IE7 right of the bat. The primary reason is that in short term Microsoft is going to push IE7 through Windows update, so you can be sure that the majority of the inter-netted world will have IE7, too. I need IE7 to make sure all the assets at work and the ones I have myself (for my own business) won’t break.

Understandably, I am not amused (to say the least) by the way Microsoft is approaching this matter. Sure, you can want the world to ‘enjoy’ the features of this new version of Internet Explorer but at the same time they are saddling the entire Internet media world with a huge logistical problem of testing everything before the world will be flooded with IE7. As if we don’t have anything else on our schedules.

Yes there is a beta, yes you can try and test everything on there, but the fact is, the beta in general does not behave quite the same as the original. I have tried the beta before and I encountered massive amounts of problems related to Java-scripting and DOM where there are none now. How can Microsoft expect us to to develop, modify and test our sites on a product that isn’t even finished yet; a product that shows relatively drastic differences between the beta and the production version.

There was also another thing that really annoys me about IE7.

Some months ago, a download was offered through Windows Update, which was called the “Genuine Advantage Programme“. Sounds harmless enough, but IT guys like me get really distrusting with granny-sweet-flavored package titles like that. For those unaware, the Genuine Advantage Programme is nothing more than a rouse from Microsoft to validate your version of Windows (read: check if your copy is legal).

While I believe it’s within Microsoft’s rights to protect their products from piracy, I immensely disapprove of the degree of deception that they use. You going to test my copy? Fine! But don’t come with these girl scout cookie titles that are clearly meant to hide the true purpose of the software. It feels very much like how spy ware operates.

Coming back on the topic, MS apparently thought it was not going good enough with that ruse. So they now have packaged the “Genuine Advantage”-bullshit with IE7. To me that is even dirtier still. You are under the assumption you are getting new software that has nothing to little to do with the OS itself (at least here in the European Union) and they go and ‘test’ whether your version of Windows is OK or not. Again they are within their rights to fight piracy, but to put it with a metaphor, it’s like a gas station testing your car whether you are properly insured while filling the tank.

Internet Explorer 7 is actually a big enhancement over 6. I would recommend people that like IE best or are familiar with it and don’t want to try anything else to switch over. I advise everyone however to check whether they have a receipt of their copy of Windows handy when installing IE7. If you who don’t like how the wheels are turning in Redmond, I suggest you try a Live CD of Ubuntu or OpenSuSE and see how well you can live with Linux. But if Linux is a bit too alien for you: FireFox 2 is out and it’s pretty groovy as well. 🙂