In praise of Internet Explorer

I never thought I'd say this.

I like Internet Explorer.

Help me.

Well, I say I like Internet Explorer. In truth, I like the beta version of Internet Explorer 9, and for (in my mind) one reason: Its not Internet Explorer. Internet Explorer 9 is a fresh, invigorated, fast browser, with a usable UI and is more or less standards compliant. For usability alone it far outpaces Firefox and Safari, although it still lags a little behind Chrome for me.

IE now passes the first 2 Acid tests, as well as performing better than Chrome on the third. For me this is a major milestone, as it shows that Microsoft, or at least the team behind IE are actually trying to pay attention to standards.

IE 9 is just the latest in a range of what seems to be departures from the norm for Microsoft. This change in culture; from bloat, non-compliance and ugliness to the status quo, looks like the future path for Microsoft. Gone are the failures of Windows Mobile 6, Vista and IE 7, and coming are the Triumphs of Windows 7, IE 9 and Windows Phone 7.

I wonder if this is a complete turn around for Microsoft, I for one hope it is.