New Internet Explorer 9

Microsoft has sneaked out a new demo version of its forthcoming Web browser to highlight its vision of the next-gen Internet. To show that Microsoft is being a good Internet citizen and offering compatibility for all, its latest preview version of Internet Explorer 9 shows off some smart features. Not only will it be an all-singing HTML5-compatible browser but it will accelerate video and other media to offer a full-on broadband Web experience.

While that all sounds great, the arguments start when you see that Microsoft is tying in IE9 deeper into Windows than any previous version. This integration provides the acceleration and jazzy features that make it stand out from a platform-agnostic browser. However, only Windows users will see the full benefit of an IE9 coded site, everyone else will just default back to a — presumably — slower compatible mode.

Using the HTML 5 canvas, video and audio tags, some smart results can be created. Demos on the IE9 Test Drive site include an asteroid field, fish tank and others, all running smoothly. Canvas creates a simplified way of defining a space for 2D visuals, so it will be fun for games and impressive animations, without the need for Flash or other plug-ins. IE9 can turn Web pages into something that looks more like a desktop app with font smoothing and other effects among benefits for general users.