Microsoft which lagged the browser war for the last couple of years has bounced back with the release of IE 8.0 packed with some innovations – Accelerators, Visual Search and Web Slices. According to ieaddons.com,
Accelerators – Simply highlight some text from any web page and then click on the blue Accelerators icon that appears above your selection to obtain driving directions, translate and define words, email content to others, start shopping, and more.
Visual Search / Search Provider – Now you can type a search term and see real-time, relevant search suggestions from your chosen search provider. Click on a suggestion at any time to immediately execute the search without having to type the entire word or phrase.
Web Slices – Using Web Slices, you can keep up with updated sites directly from the Favorites Bar. If a Web Slice is available on a page, a green Web Slices icon will appear in the upper-right hand corner of the browser. You can then easily add them to the Favorites Bar!
One of the great things about this browser is Microsoft has made it more complaint with other Web Standards / Technologies. It is claimed to be faster and more secure too. Rajiv P, Director of Windows Client Business Group wrote in his e-mail,
With this release of Internet Explorer, we have a rich ecosystem of popular online Indian partners who are working with us to deliver this ease of use and functionality.
Microsoft is also working with top consumer interest sites to deliver a high level of user experience. And in a related development, Google’s YouTube’s Live Stream of MarchMadness will be powered by Microsoft Silverlight [Flash competitor]. Will the new mantra, Innovative Products + Partnerships help Microsoft taste success ?