Internet Explorer 7
Type of Program: Browser
Supported Platforms: Win XP
Company Name: Microsoft
Version: 7
Price: Free
Installed Size: 3.50Mb
The installation of Internet Explorer 7 is intrusive and a pain
in the butt. Microsoft almost forces you to download Internet Explorer 7 these
days and of course being Microsoft they decide where the program files go, not
you. Also being Microsoft they can't just do a stand alone product that doesn't
mess with the core of Windows either. In other words ZoneAlarm warnings come up
until the cows go home. Plus Internet Explorer 7 also puts an icon in the Quick
Launch tray without asking. Plus of course no matter what you had chosen in the
past as your default web browser Internet Explorer 7 takes over that position
without asking.
The first time you run Internet Explorer 7 you get a Welcome screen that has
these choices:
Required Settings:
Please choose your default search provider
Optional Settings
Help make your browsing more secure by setting up Phishing Filter
See webpages more clearly (ClearType)
Help customize webpages to your current location
Help improve Internet Explorer: Join the Customer Experience Improvement Program
At the bottom underneath the:
Help improve Internet Explorer: Join the Customer Experience Improvement Program
There is a link to their Privacy Statement. It is not really that bad except for
the part that says they have the option to change it at anytime and post the
information, but they do not have to notify you.
After looking at that I pushed the back button and discovered that the page
where I had been with both the Required and Optional settings was gone. What was
now there was a page with the:
Required Settings:
Please choose your default search provider
The optional choices had vanished - poof!
I then went to my Homepage. I notice then what might be a new tab on the top
next to the tab for the page I was on so I clicked on it. Internet Explorer 7
then loaded a page giving an explanation of using the new tabbed interface. At
the bottom of the page was a link to more information about Tabbed browsing, so
I clicked on that. Voila! up popped:
The page that opened was a FAQ about tabbed browsing. And strangely enough the
header on the page said " Windows Vista - Help and Support" I thought that a bit
strange since as of the writing of this review Windows Vista has not been
released.
Ok so let's finally get down to the nits and grittes. Is Internet Explorer 7
better than IE 6? Well yes it certainly is, the big reason being the Tabbed
browsing, but hey there is nothing wrong with the Phishing help either. Other
than that? Well nothing really stands out. Certainly there is nothing there that
Opera,
Firefox
and my favorite
NetCaptor haven't had for a coon's age.
In conclusion, if you are an ordinary user that has only used IE 6 in the past,
have been happy with it and have no desire to check out the other Browsers out
there then Internet Explorer 7 is for you. Especially since they practically
shove it down your throat. And the Phishing help could prove valuable. Though if
you have been using other browsers than IE 6 you are probably not going to be
really impressed.
Performance:
User Friendly:
Cost:
Ease of Installation:
Support:
Reviewed by Joe Tex
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