With the upcoming release of Windows 8, Microsoft has essentially overhauled its Windows operating system. The industry's most popular operating system comes packaged with Internet Explorer, the industry's most popular web browser, which has been similarly overhauled.
Internet Explorer 10 has been built to mesh perfectly with the new Metro style of development Microsoft has introduced with Windows 8. Internet Explorer 10 looks and feels much like Internet Explorer 9 when being used on a desktop or laptop, but it shines on smartphones and tablets. Designers have paid special attention to optimizing the users' web experiences on touch devices, namely tablets and smartphones, but touch-based notebooks are on the horizon and Windows 8/IE 10 are designed to take advantage of that emerging technology.
Windows 8 and Internet Explorer 10 have been outfitted with touch shortcuts for easy navigation of web pages. Swiping shortcuts, double tap zooming, and automatic domain suggestions all make moving through multiple web pages easier and faster. There is less typing required, which is perfect for those who have trouble with touchscreen keyboards. The interface is designed to show users the tools they need only when they need them, and then conveniently hide the tools when they are not relevant. Because Internet Explorer 10 is designed to be used with the Windows 8, the user experience mirrors the Metro style interface. It uses tiles rather than the traditional shortcuts to connect users to frequently visited sites or sites pinned to the Internet Explorer start screen.
There are some changes users are less excited about though.
Some have questioned Microsoft's decision to not include support for plug-ins. For example, Flash-heavy sites will not function if visited using the Metro browser. Similarly, password managers which use toolbar extensions could have problems functioning properly. Simple acts such as printing or sharing web pages require opening the separate "Charms" bar. Reportedly this is not entirely inconvenient, but the traditional method of printing directly from the browser was preferred by many users.
Since Internet Explorer 10 has the ability to operate differently whether it's being used on a desktop or mobile device, it is essentially two different apps (although Microsoft prefers that we see it as one app capable of delivering two different experiences). Internet Explorer 10 takes advantage of the cutting edge live tiles innovations Windows 8 has been hyping, but it can look like a traditional browser depending on how the user chooses to engage with the program. Microsoft believes both experiences will satisfy the next generation of web consumers.
Source by Chandra Heitzman
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