Internet Explorer 8 aims to "slice" up competitors

Internet Explorer 8 aims to "slice" up competitors


By Geoff MartinMarch 18, 2009

 
Microsoft's Internet Explorer 8 is banking on several new features to ensure it's a hit with users.
Photograph by: canada.com,

With all the hype that’s been doled out by technology enthusiasts about diggs and pokes and tweets recently, Microsoft is hoping to add some new buzzwords to the online conversation: “Slices” and “Accelerators.”


Microsoft was showing off the newest version of its Internet Explorer browsing software to journalists in Toronto on March 17, and ease of use and customization appear to be their main areas of focus as the world's most popular browser approaches its eighth incarnation.


One of the notable new features in Internet Explorer 8 is the introduction of Accelerators, which are basically tiny icons that appear any time there's something that can be expanded upon after being highlighted by a user. For example, if a random address is highlighted, a tiny Accelerator icon will appear, and if clicked upon it will provide a menu that allows users to do several things, many of them involving the Windows Live service. The list of options is customizable, but one of the more obvious choices is to map out the address through Windows Live with one click.


Microsoft’s main goal here appears to be reducing the number of steps that are needed to get at the information we want. Currently you’d have to highlight an address, copy it, open another tab or window, navigate to a mapping service, paste in the address, and then finally get the map you’re after. With these new Accelerators, that cumbersome operation has been reduced to just three simple steps: highlight, click and map.


Another new feature of the browser is called Slices, which are essentially customized widgets a user can add to the top of their browser for quick and simple access to the information they return to on a regular basis, which appear as small pop-down windows. You won't hear it from the lips of anyone employed by Microsoft, but you might consider this new feature a sort of "RSS for Dummies," bringing the power of RSS feeds and their easily syndicated content to the masses. Representatives were on hand from the Weather Network, Workopolis, and our very own canada.com to show how they’ll be implementing this new technology on their sites.


In the case of the Weather Network, users will be able to add a Slice to the top of their browser that will give them one-click instant access to their personalized local weather forecast, as well as a host of other weather info.


Workopolis demonstrated how a one-time search for a specific job category will produce the option to add a Slice for that search, which will give users a permanent window onto that job category. The new slice at the top of their browser will glow red whenever there are new relevant jobs posted, perhaps giving job-seekers a crucial edge in today’s competitive market.


Finally canada.com was there to show off how it will be serving up the latest news, features and videos in various slices, which will be debuting on this site shortly.


Other new features of IE 8 include the addition of Suggested Sites -- a service for surfers who’ve stumbled upon something particularly useful or interesting. Upon request, Suggested Sites will suggest similar websites based on the users’ past browsing history, as well as the opinions of others.


Rounding out the major additions to Microsoft’s browser is the brand new Visual Search. Firefox users are likely already familiar with the customizable search tool at the top right of their browser, which can offer instant searches on services such as Google, Wikipedia, eBay, Amazon, and many others. The new Visual Search in IE8 takes this concept one step further, and incorporates thumbnail pictures into the search bar as a user types. If you’re searching on Amazon.ca for “Bruce Springsteen” CDs, for example, before you’ve even finished typing his last name, you’ll be looking at a drop down menu containing thumbnail pictures of his albums.


It’s not quite at the "ready for prime time" stage just yet, but intrepid Internet users who can’t wait for the final version to be released can check out these and other new features by downloading Internet Explorer 8 RC1. (Editor's Note: RC1 is short for “Release Candidate One,” which is short for, “expect a couple of bugs, but nothing too serious.”)
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