Microsoft details Windows 8's IE10 web browsing
updated 10:30 pm EDT, Wed March 14, 2012
Browsing engine performance improved
Microsoft has detailed the upcoming Internet Explorer 10 browsing experience that will be brought to Windows 8 devices. The company suggests the browser has been completely reworked, bringing improvements to the underlying browsing engine while adding a number of interface tweaks to match Windows 8's Metro-style layout.
To maintain the software experience across a broad range of Windows 8 devices, IE10 has been optimized for both for keyboard/mouse and touchscreen input. Website developers can take advantage of Metro elements such as the Start screen, charms and snap, among other features.
"While building and tuning the Metro style browsing experience for the Consumer Preview, we realized it is a better way to browse – whether on a desktop computer with a big screen, mouse and keyboard, or on a touch-enabled mobile device," Internet Explorer group program manager Rob Mauceri wrote in a blog post.
The Metro influence also extends to window organization, as sites are organized into "navigation tiles" rather than spreading across a horizontal tabbed layout that is now commonplace for desktop browsers. The new tab switcher pops up via gesture, mouse click or keyboard shortcut, and shows thumbnails of each open page for fast switching or closing windows.
IE10 is now available in the Windows 8 Consumer Preview.
