IE 8 is the last Explorer

[Gerri Shin]

With the recent information surfacing that Microsoft is considering Webkit to be used in Internet Explorer, it got people wondering if Microsoft would really give up on their own rendering engine. Today, we received a tip that Microsoft was in fact giving up on their own rendering engine. Not just their engine though, but the whole Internet Explorer browser.

Our reliable source notes that Internet Explorer 8, which just was said to have RTM'ed a few weeks ago will be the last Internet Explorer that Microsoft will ever make. Their new browser, which the name of which has not yet been released, will feature a fresh start. It is unclear whether or not it will use Webkit, or another rendering engine. What is clear though is that Microsoft is ready to drop their heavily used, and criticized browser for something that will be new and fresh.

On another note, our source stated that currently the successor to Windows 7, is slated to be named Windows 8, and Microsoft plans on using the numerical naming scheme from now on. Please take all of this with an extra grain of salt, since it is still very early in the planning period of Windows 8 (Windows 7 isn't even completed yet), and the Internet Explorer 8 team is just wrapping up their development.

It seems like the name of IE's successor has been confimed to be "Gazelle". It is said to be more secure than FireFox and Chrome; keeping plug-in's and downloads sandboxed within the browser, so it will not affect the PC if you stumble upon some malware.

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Micorosoft Gazelle MSR Technical report PDF (HTML form)

 

[Zet]

wow, it's about time Microsoft gave up on their rendering engine and that's good that they're going to sandbox the next browser

 

[Taemin]

FINALLY. ; ;

I'll have an excuse to get Firefox, or that Chrome thing!

-emotional sobbing-

 

[Barker]

And nothing of value was lost.

IE is such a pain.

 

[Fox♠]

D:

I mean i use firefox but, i'll miss ie. He is like the older less cool brother who no one really cares for.

 

[mewthree w/armor]

WOW! I almost can't believe this. We all know its going to phail right?

 

[Legobricks]

On another note, our source stated that currently the successor to Windows 7, is slated to be named Windows 8, and Microsoft plans on using the numerical naming scheme from now on.

Windows 1
Windows 2
Windows 3
Windows 95 should be 4
Windows 98 should be 5
Windows 2000/ME should be 6
Windows XP should be... wait...
...
Windows 7
Windows 8

I wonder why they started at 7 when they decided they'd go back to numbers...

 

[mewthree w/armor]

Windows 1
Windows 2
Windows 3
Windows 95 should be 4
Windows 98 should be 5
Windows 2000/ME should be 6
Windows XP should be... wait...
...
Windows 7
Windows 8

I wonder why they started at 7 when they decided they'd go back to numbers...

Windows XP was like three different projects merged into one that could have been there own OS's, so that really fudges up the numbering.

 

[Pazuzu]

Windows 1
Windows 2
Windows 3
Windows 95 should be 4
Windows 98 should be 5
Windows 2000/ME should be 6
Windows XP should be... wait...
...
Windows 7
Windows 8

I wonder why they started at 7 when they decided they'd go back to numbers...

Because they are going by the build branch.

XP was 5, Vista was 6, 7 is 7.

 

[Archer]

Because they are going by the build branch.

XP was 5, Vista was 6, 7 is 7.

IIRC, W7 is actually given a build number of 6.1, for compatibility's sake. I'm sure that'll change.

It's about time they fix their browsers, though. I can see it being packaged with later versions of W7...

 

[Legobricks]

Because they are going by the build branch.

XP was 5, Vista was 6, 7 is 7.

Oh, I see. So that's why 95–2000 all have the same UI aesthetic...

 

[Virtual Chatot]

Now if only they'd scrap the entire Windows Platform itself...:P

But seriously, I would consider using an Internet Explorer based on Webkit :/

 

[Zebra Thunderhead]

Good. That's all I can say.

 

[Ninja Tree]

Now if only they'd scrap the entire Windows Platform itself...:P

But seriously, I would consider using an Internet Explorer based on Webkit :/

Scrap the entire Windows platform? That is one of the worst ideas I've ever heard.

 

[Capt. Couch]

Scrap the entire Windows platform? That is one of the worst ideas I've ever heard.

Agreed. By eliminating Windows, you eliminate the operating system used by (approx.) 84% of the computing population of the world...

Well, even though I'm a loyal Firefox user I still say "Hope springs eternal." I was hardly impressed by IE7 because the rendering engine still seemed inferior to that of Firefox, but now that Microsoft has considered giving up on IE's rendering engine for WebKit, I have to say that this is quite interesting... But giving up on IE? They really need to have something up their sleeve to do that, but I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

 

[Virtual Chatot]

Scrap the entire Windows platform? That is one of the worst ideas I've ever heard.

It was joke you nilly wit -.-'

 

[beauty. proletariat]

windows should rebuild an OS from scratch, then do what mac does, give developers time to fix their applications.

Then build some new type of web browser where you can edit its look with CSS or something equally simple

 

[twocows]

I trust all unnamed reliable sources. In fact, the other day I heard from a reliable source (who will remain unnamed) that Microsoft plans to discontinue Windows and all related products, and will soon be focusing on contributing to the Red Hat project full time as part of it's new open source initiative called "Things that will never, ever happen."

I heard this trash on Slashdot, too. I don't believe a word of it. IE has a dominant market share; Microsoft has no reason to want to cancel it, even if tech professionals tend to recommend other browsers. Also, most modern browsers already sandbox everything, so it's ridiculous to claim that will make it definitively more secure than Firefox or another browser.

Because they are going by the build branch.

XP was 5, Vista was 6, 7 is 7.

If you look at the internal version numbering of Windows 7, it's actually version 6.1 (source). My guess is that they chose 7 because they had their marketing people do research on which numbers people associated positively with, and most people liked 7.

 

[bubblewrap]

D:

I mean i use firefox but, i'll miss ie. He is like the older less cool brother who no one really cares for.

xD;

Lol, I totally agree.
R.I.P. Internet Explorer.

Well, I just hope it isn't ugly. Imagine it looks exactly like IE... xD

 

[Nitrous Oxide]

As if Microsoft is finally realizing that they're stuff is crap. First Windows 7, now a completely new browser. Just when we thought the reign of Microsoft was over, eh? :laugh:

If you look at the internal version numbering of Windows 7, it's actually version 6.1 (source). My guess is that they chose 7 because they had their marketing people do research on which numbers people associated positively with, and most people liked 7.

Actually, it's because Vista was 6.0. And since 7 is what Vista should have been, they stuck it at 6.1 while retaining the number 7 that was supposed to be 7.0. Like XP and 2000 (5.0 -> 5.1). Windows 8 will probably be 7.0, just to screw things up even more.

And considering that Windows 7 Beta 1 is stable enough to be a RC, I'm not even surprised to hear Microsoft already planning Windows 8. Seems like they're high on the future in Redmond.