My review of IE7 Beta 2.

[Crazysah]

Good review mate! I like IE 7 alot! Most people are just not used to it!

[ServerMechanic]

So will IE7 make Maxthon obsolete? Or will Maxthon's plug-ins still make it a better tabbed-IE browser?

I think there will be no need for Maxthon. Personally I never thought there was after Firefox.

On top of that Maxthon has a small user base when compared to IE or Firefox or Opera.

Maxthon is just a stupid shell anyway. Not even a real browser.

[asdfoi83wyrl]

good :)

[carpediem]

I think there will be no need for Maxthon. Personally I never thought there was after Firefox.

On top of that Maxthon has a small user base when compared to IE or Firefox or Opera.

Maxthon is just a stupid shell anyway. Not even a real browser.

You think wrong...

Maxthon as a company is growing fast, and thats REALLY fast. It's a freeware browser and for the past couple of months they have hired... They have 6-7 coders working there now. That must mean they are doing something really right. They were even financed by one of the guys that started the funding on Skype.

Maxthon has 48 million downloads...

Maxthon is activly recomended by Microsoft...

Maxthon 2.0 will make Maxthon even more popular... (Yes, I know what I'm talking about, I'm beta testing 2.0)

Definition of browser:

A web browser is a software application that enables a user to display and interact with text, images, and other information typically located on a web page at a website on the World Wide Web

[chopyaedoff]

I like IE7, but I refuse to use it because it was no better han IE6 at ACID2 and it's security isn't as good as other browsers (Active X).

If anyone can put me at ease with those problems then I may use it in preference to Opera or Firefox.

[ServerMechanic]

carpediem,

It's a shell that uses the IE rendering engine. I don't consider something that uses another browsers rendering engine to be a browser.

It would be different if Maxthon built their own rendering engine. Maxthon is more like an "extension" for IE. Kind of like how Firefox has extensions that enable more things and add ons.

Maxthon may be recomended by MS sure. IT's because when you use Maxthon it's identified as IE when you surf.

[SYBINX]

Good article man

I have been testing for a while and I still prefer using Firefox or opera. I will get used to it eventually.

[webeagle12]

carpediem,

It's a shell that uses the IE rendering engine. I don't consider something that uses another browsers rendering engine to be a browser.

It would be different if Maxthon built their own rendering engine. Maxthon is more like an "extension" for IE. Kind of like how Firefox has extensions that enable more things and add ons.

Maxthon may be recomended by MS sure. IT's because when you use Maxthon it's identified as IE when you surf.

pfftttt all I can say

IE is NOT following web standards and you calling it a browser?

lame

[Veedems Veteran]

I like IE7, but I refuse to use it because it was no better han IE6 at ACID2 and it's security isn't as good as other browsers (Active X).

If anyone can put me at ease with those problems then I may use it in preference to Opera or Firefox.

You can disable activex, you know

pfftttt all I can say

IE is NOT following web standards and you calling it a browser?

lame

So what browser do you use then? I've got to hear this one....

[Guzman]

I have a couple of problems:

1. The "Customize Your Settings" page keeps launching at startup. I've tried to save my settings but I get an "Error applying settings!" page. If I hit "Got to homepage and don't show this again", it launches again at startup.

2. My favorites menu doesn't work. I can get to my favorites in the "Favorites center", but the links won't open and I can't import them to go to the menu.

Any help on either of these issues would be greatly appreciated. And as for my opinion. It seems at least as quick as IE 6, but the interface will take getting used to. It's alot different than IE 6 or Firefox

[fred65]

To be honest, I only used IE7 for about 5min, coz it kept disconnecting my dialup connection, and deleting it. I couldnt even dial until i uninstalled it. Points for perfect restore of settings!!

But i'm impressed with the little i have seen. It may not be revolutionary, but for the average people who just use IE, this is a HUGE step. Your average user wouldnt be able to tell the difference between IE5 and IE6sp1/sp2. They're different on the inside, but a lot of things are just as difficult/user-unfriendly to do.

The infamous "cannot find server" page is replaced with a nice page that has USEFUL info on why the hell you're not on the net.

Tabs, the previews, the printing page, easy page zoom, built in search, icon overhaul, shows that MS is tyin to do a total overhaul, and who do we thank? Firefox/Safari/Maxthon/Opera, as they have developed superior browsers to MS, so MS is forced to do somethin.

Browser wars are good. Soon all the computers i'm forced to use will have somethin better, not the old IE that forced me to switch to firefox.

[chavo]

carpediem,

It's a shell that uses the IE rendering engine. I don't consider something that uses another browsers rendering engine to be a browser.

It would be different if Maxthon built their own rendering engine. Maxthon is more like an "extension" for IE. Kind of like how Firefox has extensions that enable more things and add ons.

Maxthon may be recomended by MS sure. IT's because when you use Maxthon it's identified as IE when you surf.

Firefox is just a shell that uses the Gecko rendering engine.

[chopyaedoff]

Firefox is just a shell that uses the Gecko rendering engine.

You are wrong there my friend.

A browser is built on a redering engine (Gecko - Firefox, Trident (MSHTML) - IE, KHTML or Webkit - Safari). It isn't a shell of it.

Using your theory IE is a shell on top of Trident (MSHTML). Browsers like Maxthon are shells because they need the main browser installed for them to work.

[Brandon Live Veteran]

Maxthon is just a stupid shell anyway. Not even a real browser.

By your logic: FireFox is just a stupid shell anyway. Not even a real browser.

Same for Safari.

I like IE7, but I refuse to use it because it was no better han IE6 at ACID2 and it's security isn't as good as other browsers (Active X).

ACID2 is NOT a standards compliance test . Last I knew, no browsers could pass it.

How does support for hosting ActiveX controls make it less secure???

...

Also, can someone please correct the title?

IE7 Beta 2 doesn't exist yet. This is a review of a pre-beta release.

[rounds]

Nice review. I started using the browser today and after a full day of using it, I think its great. I'll be sticking with it now I think

[Brandon Live Veteran]

Using your theory IE is a shell on top of Trident (MSHTML). Browsers like Maxthon are shells because they need the main browser installed for them to work.

IE is a shell around SHDocView - which is a wrapper around Trident. So is Maxthon.

If you delete iexplore.exe - Maxthon won't care. But if you delete mshtml - both of them will.

[Shining Arcanine]

By your logic: FireFox is just a stupid shell anyway. Not even a real browser.

Same for Safari.

ACID2 is NOT a standards compliance test . Last I knew, no browsers could pass it.

Safari can pass it. Konquerer can pass it. Soon Opera will be able to pass it. It is not that no browser can pass it. It is that the IE team is lazy. Microsoft's CEO is yelling "Developers! Developers! Developers!" yet the IE team is saying that because it is a wishlist, they are not going to comply with it and instead are going to listen to "feedback." So much for listening to developers.

[samriley]

really dont get half the posts in this thread, why use a browser that will render many pages on the web incorrectly? no one will ensure their site is working correctly untill ie7 is final. and as for passing acid2... that means absolutly nothing. it doesnt ensure that all standards are follow 100%, it doesnt mean it full supports css2, it means nothing in the real world. im sure pretty much every browser developer out there could hack it so that acid2 works. but developers would rather it was more compliant in a whole than to just be hacked in.

[Brandon Live Veteran]

Safari can pass it. Konquerer can pass it. Soon Opera will be able to pass it. It is not that no browser can pass it. It is that the IE team is lazy. Microsoft's CEO is yelling "Developers! Developers! Developers!" yet the IE team is saying that because it is a wishlist, they are not going to comply with it and instead are going to listen to "feedback." So much for listening to developers.

Lazy???

Grow up. If you have a specific feature that you want IE to implement, then tell them. But if you're just going to whine that it doesn't pass some arbitrary "test" (neither does Firefox, and I think you're wrong about Safari/Konqueror's released versions), don't bother.

How is passing ACID2 going to make it a better browser?

And while we're on the subject - why are Safari/Konqueror missing so many important features for web developers?

Why don't they offer proper DHTML event and object model support (specifically, the OnLoad event for SCRIPT tags)? IE has had it for ages. So does FireFox.

Just look at Live.com - a site that makes heavy use of DHTML and Javascript. That team tried to support Opera and Safari/Konqueror, but found that they were too lacking in necessary functionality. At least the Opera folks are working with them to make version 9 better. But so far I haven't heard of any effort from the KHTML community to improve their support for popular "AJAX" technologies.

[aberflasm]

While I am pleased with some of IE7's improvements, I am still overall disappointed with it. Maybe I am spoiled by firefox.

[ozgeek]

I'm loving it so far. There are some bugs here and there but in the end overall it's a great reliable browser. Loving the new look ribbon bars up there. Easy to use and not as bloated as default IE 6 was. The thumbnail view rules!

Here are the problems I've encountered so far:

- The scrolling is a bit sluggish. But the fast scrolling (using the cruise buttons on my MX1000) is smmmmooooth.

- I'd wish I would wheel-click on the home button to make it load in a new tab.

- When opening a new tab after clicking the home button, it shows a blank page. I'd like it to load my start page which is full of links.

- The new tab button need to show the new tab icon permenantly.

- The ability to remove the Stop and Go/Refresh buttons, as well as the search button. I know to press enter or press F5.

Although other than those problems, it's an excellent browser after all, depite the security concerns, Microsoft is going in the right direction. :)