Microsoft keeps tinkering around with Internet Explorer 7 readying it for an official release later this year or first part of next with the consumer version of Vista. You can take IE7 Beta 2 for a test drive, their third official beta iteration (despite being called beta 2) on a non-production system. The official IE7 blog announced the launch last night:

We believe that IE7 - even at this beta stage - is a significant improvement and we want as many people as possible to try it and use it. IE7 is feature complete and has been through significant compatibility and reliability testing. People (especially technology enthusiasts) will have a good experience with it.

In February we stepped the last IE7 beta version through the paces complete with instructions for how to uninstall. That post will be used as a reference for seeing how Microsoft has done with nearly 90 more days of time to work through the feedback. Let’s get it on:

After downloading and doubleclicking the IE7BETA2-WindowsXP-x86-enu.exe you’ll see the somewhat ominous warning to backup your files and close all other running programs:

This screen is different only in the word “preview” no longer being present. Then it’s onto validating your copy of Windows before you can proceed.

After successful validation there is an option default checked to install the malicious software removal tool. I left it checked and continued.

Now comes the time where the perspiration begins and you hope that Microsoft has done its homework and your system will reboot successfully. But you are using a non-production system, right? You backed up your files, right? If so, then proceed. If not, then proceed at your own risk.

After rebooting, programs I normally use with Firefox we’re launched which include ScreenGrab Pro and Photoshop.

The opening screen — the familiar runonce2 file — gives you a chance to configure the following (pictured above):

- Turn on automatic phishing (default OFF). I checked the box. As indicated by the warning, some sites will be sent to Microsoft for the use of this function. There is a link to an IE privacy statement.
- Help customize webpages to your current location. The radio button for “Use the current settings: English” was selected. No change.
- Join the customer experience improvement program (default: NOT checked). I left it this way. Microsoft can get my feedback from this blog in their RSS aggregator.

After making the changes above I clicked “Save your settings” and was taken to the Internet Explorer 7: Tour of New Features. Clicking on the yellow white arrow to start the tour opens up the following popup window:

Nice to see the first thing the new IE is promoting is the streamlined toolbar and interface that gives more browser window room: “say goodbye to bulky toolbars.” This is one of Opera’s strengths that the toolbar tries not to get in the way.

Going through the other tour pages, we learn that there is an “optimized design” which includes tigher menus and more focus on using up less, not more room. This will be a hit with users. Very few want to give up extra browsing space for crap they can’t configure.

The tabbed browsing is spotlighted next. Whereas the last version it seemed a bit clunky, this version is more solid.

The search bar has MSN as the default, but by clicking the dropdown menu you can be taken to a page to quickly and easily add Google and other search engines as options. Thanks Microsoft for making this convenient. I found this so friendly that there was hesitation in making Google the default. See what being good to users does for you?

If you want to add your own site search engine IE7 uses the OpenSearch format, which is handy, because we already have a search for that.

How to Add MakeYouGoHmm search to IE7
When OpenSearch was launched a little over a year ago, we jumped on adding an OpenSearch option for Hmm so the entire archives could be searched conveniently.

Unfortunately when I checked the OpenSearch Description File isn’t compatible with IE7, so I visited the A9 OpenSearch Description specs and downloaded a new example and tweaked our existing MakeYouGoHmm OpenSearch XML file. Basic changes made were the URL format and the OpenSearch description which had changed from version 1.0 to version 1.1. Result: You can now add MakeYouGoHmm to IE7 by clicking the link below.

Click here to add Hmm search inside Internet Explorer 7

Now when you do a test search for “opensearch” under MakeYouGoHmm you’ll see results from this blog that look like this inside IE7:

Even though the OpenSearch format hasn’t really caught on, I still think it’s a good idea. Opensearch allows sharing search results across a common format which MakeYouGoHmm fully supports. If you do a search here on the site or in your browser, you still have to come to this site to get the full page content which I see as a win-win for the publisher and the subscriber.

RSS integration
Internet Explorer 7 comes with a built-in RSS reader that takes a similar path as Safari, unfortunately there is no slider like Safari where you can view headlines only.

RSS reader integration in the tour is promoted as: “Don’t waste time checking many different sites and blogs for updates.” Just visit sites and if they have RSS autodiscovery the feed icon will illuminate orange as shown below (left and circled in red) vs. a site that doesn’t have a feed (right):

In the case of Hmm, we offer both Atom or RSS 2.0 feeds, so a dropdown allows readers to choose, which I realize might be confusing to some readers. Perhaps I should do some research about only giving them one or the other instead of making readers choose.

Subscribed to Hmm to test the RSS reading experience inside the browser:

On the right side a non-scrolling menu allows various sort options: by date (ascending or descending order), title, author or category. Pretty basic stuff and definitely not likely to replace my current workflow using Reblog. Maybe it will have some more features and be something more interactive and involved by the time the final IE version emerges.

IE7 extras
Microsoft offers a handy IE7 checklist for consumers, developers and IT professionals.

They also are offering FREE phone support. Are you freaking kidding me? Phone support for a beta product from Microsoft? Yes, they are. This comes from the same folks that are willing to charge $200+ to troubleshoot Outlook after you have already paid $500 for Office Professional. I didn’t call the number 1-866-876-4926, but it’s a curious move considering their history with support being an extra get into our back pocket move. Progressive thinking on their part or desperation, readers can decide. Thank you Firefox for pushing Microsoft.

Other reviews/opinions on IE 7 Beta 2
Lots of others have been peeking under the IE7 hood since last night and now that I’ve written our review I’m starting to venture out and check out what others are saying. I’ll update this section with more interesting comments as I come across them, but I wanted to publish this before too much more time went by.

Loren links up a list of IE7 addons
Jeremiah Owyang conducts a podcast interview with the IE team.
Nathan points some important details like: “Do not reinstall Windows after installing IE7. Instead, uninstall IE7, then reinstall Windows, then reinstall IE7.”
Tom Raftery points out the clever timing of a recent PC Mag column by John Dvorak that suggests Microsoft should abandon IE altogether and fix the OS security issues

Final thoughts
As I looked through this release I couldn’t help thinking that Microsoft really screwed up by saying they weren’t going to update IE until Vista came out. Yes, they backpeddled but this gaffe could turn out to be their browser’s undoing. It gave a percentage of people the reason to look elsewhere.

Being able to be the default when you boot up the OS is significant, but by the time IE7 finally comes out officially too many of their customers might already have defected. There are a lot of M$ customers who won’t install beta software and some who are freaked out about installing first release software from Microsoft. Many already have defected. A place for them to push into and be the only game in town, no pun intended, could be providing an Intenet Explorer for Xbox Live. I keep thinking as I’m playing, boy I wish I could check ___ on the web while in there … will we see this in the next year?

The Xbox Live Marketplace could be the holy grail for Microsoft on a number of fronts which I’ll expand on in a separate post, but this is an area where they have huge potential. As for the browser wars? IE7 isn’t going away, which is a good thing. This release cements their place at the very least as being serious.

Related Posts

• A9 OpenSearch
• XP Service Pack 2 includes IE popup blocking by default
• Internet Explorer 7 a (beta) reality this summer
• Here we blow again: the embarassing IE7 launch
• IE7 makes it easier to add custom site search
• Microsoft Watch bets on Internet Explorer upgrade before Longhorn