Microsoft guarantees that its new browser can scan for unsafe WebGL content and in case it finds something that’s not recommended to load, it displays a notification to let the user know about it. Internet Explorer 11 now brings hardware-accelerated 3D web graphics right on your tablet, as it can now display WebGL content without affecting battery life or the overall performance of the device. Unfortunately, the browser is getting slower as you open new tabs, and once you load more than 10 websites, the app stops responding for one second or two every time you try to access the tab bar.Ī new option that pre-fetches content in the background is also contributing to the overall browsing speed offered by the app, but even if it all sounds like milk and honey, speed improvements are barely noticeable on specific websites. As a result, IE11 supports as many as 100 tabs per window in Metro mode, Microsoft guarantees.
In addition, Microsoft has used what it calls GPU-offloaded image decoding to provide not only enhanced battery life, but also to display dynamic page content as fast as possible. Everything seems to work a lot faster thanks to a GPU-based technology that processes standard gestures such as panning, zooming, and swiping. If there’s one thing that really deserves to be praised in Internet Explorer 11 Metro is the touch support. In addition, the tab bar is being used to show you the frequently-accessed websites, just near your favorites, in an attempt to make the whole experience a bit faster. The browser now displays suggestions as you type using Bing, while also providing instant answers for weather and stock prices. The same more or less familiar design that’s specifically optimized for the touch is still there to bring website content in the spotlight.Ī new icon called “More” has been added near the “New Tab” button, giving you the option to start browsing in private mode (and thus avoid saving cookies or other browsing history on the device) or to reopen the closed tab. Still, dedicated buttons placed near the address bar let you do the same thing with just a tap.īeside the tab bar, everything looks just like in Internet Explorer 10. The classic ways to go back or forward are still there, so you can easily swipe left or right to browse the web. Everything seems to adopt a more polished design in line with Microsoft’s Modern style launched together with Windows 8. The small “x” symbol used to close a page has a new and refined look, just like the rest of the tab. The tab bar is automatically hidden, but you can bring it on top by simply swiping up or down from the edges of the screen. Moving them in the lower side of the window pretty much makes sense, especially when using the tablet in landscape mode, as it’s easier to access the tabs by simply using your thumbs. In Internet Explorer 10, Microsoft placed the opened tabs at the top of the screen, trying to mimic the classic experience provided by a desktop browser.
So let’s take the improvements one at a time and see if Microsoft has indeed made Internet Explorer 11 better than the previous versions.Īs far as the appearance is concerned, the first thing you’ll notice after launching the new IE11 is that tabs are now at the bottom of the screen. Getting back to Internet Explorer 11 Preview, Microsoft has tried to make it not only faster than the previous versions, but also more responsive by adding new features and optimizations.
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The Metro flavor of Internet Explorer 11 Preview is the default browser in the Modern UI of Windows 8.1 Preview and Windows RT 8.1 Preview and as far as these two platforms are concerned, there’s no way to change that, as Mozilla is still working on its Metro browser, while Google has no plans for such a project. Just like its predecessor, Internet Explorer 11 comes with two different flavors, one specifically-designed for the Metro UI and another one aimed at desktop users.īoth have received a number of performance improvements and feature updates supposed to make it easier for Windows users to browse the web, but at the same time, it also tries to offer Microsoft an advantage in the race against Firefox, Chrome, and Opera.
In addition to a Start button, plenty of Start screen customization options, boot to desktop settings, and new Metro tools, the Softies have also implemented an official preview of Internet Explorer 11, the next version of its in-house browser supposed to serve as the default browser in Windows 8.1. Microsoft officially rolled out Windows 8.1 Preview on June 26, trying to provide users with a glimpse into the feature lineup for the first Windows 8 overhaul.