Microsoft is releasing a new test version of Internet Explorer, the market-leading Web browser that is facing competition from smaller players. The new beta, available today for free download, includes fixes for problems that were causing Internet Explorer 7 to stop working.
This is Microsoft's third beta of Internet Explorer 7 made available to the general public, and Hachamovitch said there are plans for one more. The new version comes amid growing competition from browsers such as Firefox, which has long offered functions such as tabbed browsing. Some also consider other browsers to be more secure, since IE, with its market dominance, is a popular target for attacks. The final version of Internet Explorer 7 is expected to be released in the second half of this year, around the time a version of Microsoft's new Windows operating system is expected to be available for business users.