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try it?! no thanks

Well, if you unpack the .exe, delete the subdirectory, and use the registry fix for stand-alone operation, you can still try it out without screwing up your existing install.
http://weblogs.asp.net/jgalloway/archive/2005/12/28/434132.aspx

Important for a web coder like myself who NEEDS both browsers installed and running for site compatability testing.

Interface seems a bit cleaner than previous incarnation, still has the wierd main menu below the address bar thing going on (making the UI inconsistant with every other window - must be a 'vista' thing)

Rendering wise it still seems a lot of tags that worked properly in IE6 now no longer function even CLOSE to correctly (like CSS padding an anchor tag puts the bounding box in the wrong place) which on a positive note means they really DID start over from scratch - but on the downside makes it even LESS standards compliant...

What a joke. Beta... Beta 2 at that... More like what I'd call an Alpha.

But then it seems a LOT of things are throwing around the word Beta, to the point I'm tempted to quote Inigo Montoya.

I'm no IE fan, but I do like some of the things I've seen in the earlier IE7 releases...that is, until I installed this one. It pegs my processor at 100$ when viewing any web page and has to be zapped from task manager to shut it down. I'm sure it's environmental, anyone else having this issue? Very disappointing.

Also, the IE team has opened up their bug db to the general public: https://connect.microsoft.com/site/sitehome.aspx?SiteID=136

The IE 7 Beta 2 that was released at the beginning of the year, the IE 7 Beta 2 that was released in March to coincide with the Vegas event, or the one they released today after telling all of the feedback members they were wasting their time to mention any incorrectly implemented web standards?

I'll install it on my test box, but I'm already prepared to be disappointed. To sum it up for those who haven't DLed it yet:

CSS/HTML support for web standards is virtually unimproved from IE 6. A few CSS operators are now supported, some infamous box model miscalculations are fixed, and a few flickery weirdnesses are gone. However, on the issue of supporting web standards left out of IE 6, it's not fixed.

Microsoft has repeatedly gone on record with us in the feedback area to say they're irritated with people who expect a major revision release to have, well, a level of support comparable to all other browsers two years ago or longer, and that they'll consider it for IE 8. These are their words, not mine.

100% CPU?!?! Not true. ~30%

100MB of RAM? True! Now: 81MB (61MB VM mem).
Cool!

Anyway, looks nice. But FF still better! As TabletPC user I want to see:
- "Favorities" on right side, instead of stupid left side
- "Grab and Drag" functionality instead of "aiming scroll bar"

Also I need "AdBlock" functionality in IE.

Edited 2006-04-25 21:51

and to me it doesn't feel like it's really getting better. It's not as bad as sappyvcv claims, but it's not exactly the best browser. The only good thing is tabs, and the UI sort of ruins the joy of that.

Just installed it on my laptop and checking it. I have to say I'm using it to write this comment. Let me just said that for first time in 2-3 years Maxthon is not my "default browser" anymore.

IE7 BETA 2 is *extremely* lighweight. Tabs preview page is *extremely* useful, expecially when many tabs are opened (6-7+). It is *very* fast. And it's just a BETA...

Other than that (and beside standards-compliance), I was using Maxthon which uses IE6 engine so revolutions here.

I suggest that Windows users try it: you won't be disappointed.

Actually... *yawn*

Why is the text on soooo many web pages in italics under IE7? I've checked the code of some of these pages and it's not due to non-closed [i] tags....