Internet Explorer 7 Released

The final version of Internet Explorer is now available from Microsoft for Windows XP Service Pack 2. It would be a good idea to upgrade even if you use Firefox or Opera, since IE is still used for numerous functions and tasks.

If you still use Internet Explorer 6, upgrading now would be a marvelous idea.

Internet Explorer: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/

Paul Thurrott's Review: http://www.winsupersite.com/reviews/ie7.asp

I'm not downloading it until you can assure me that it doesn't come bundled with that Windows Genuine Check nonsense.

Originally Posted by Ted Nugent

I'm not downloading it until you can assure me that it doesn't come bundled with that Windows Genuine Check nonsense.

See, that's the issue. I just tried to install it and it told me that until Microsoft is certain that my copy of Windows isn't pirated it won't install.

What I hate about this is the fact that if my copy is pirated I didn't know that when I bought it, so why am I going to be punished? That's why I refuse to run that and why I won't be installing this much needed update.

As good as it looks, I didn't see anything remarkably better than what already runs on Firefox or Opera. In fact, all this was just a catch-up move by Microsoft because they realized that IE sucked. I will probably download it as soon as I have the chance because I'd like it to work better than Fx, frankly. I'd like my computer to be streamlined Windows, but I doubt it will happen. I'll give it a chance, but based on my Beta testing, I don't think I'll make the switch back.

Do you guys even know if WGA rejects your installation?

IE...only use it while in school. I hate it and don't care that they released a new version. It was put back about a year and a half. I don't really see why the are bothering. I use Firefox and it works great. But for some reason it won't play songs from The Hylia but my IE does, thats the only reason I really use it.

As the wise D3PyroGS's sig says: Get Firefox, not crappy IE.

Long live Firefox, I've had no problems with it at all. And see no reason whatsoever to get this "upgrade".

Originally Posted by F3

Do you guys even know if WGA rejects your installation?

Nope, as I said, I haven't run it. The fact that it essentially says that it will consume your soul if it feels that your copy is pirated makes me somewhat cautious. I simply do not like giving Microsoft that much control over my PC.

Originally Posted by D3PyroGS

As good as it looks, I didn't see anything remarkably better than what already runs on Firefox or Opera. In fact, all this was just a catch-up move by Microsoft because they realized that IE sucked. I will probably download it as soon as I have the chance because I'd like it to work better than Fx, frankly. I'd like my computer to be streamlined Windows, but I doubt it will happen. I'll give it a chance, but based on my Beta testing, I don't think I'll make the switch back.

Exactly. I'm in no way a fan of Microsoft's products. As you said, IE7 is just Microsoft's attempt to make themselves equal with Mozila. I got Firefox...oh...at least a year and a half ago, and I have no intention of ever switching. I don't even plan to go to Opera. I'll just use Opera for the Wii and maybe the DS.

Actually, to respond to something specifically from this article, it is possible to put the little "X" buttons on each tab in Firefox. After seeing some ignorant people rant about this new feature in IE and how it's not available in Fx, I had to let you all know that it is possible.

It's an extension called Tab Mix Plus. While I have it, I don't really use it, as Fx tabs don't need much tweaking. However, if you're just burning to, say, have Fx tell you when a background tab is done loading, it can do that. Really, dowload it and look at its options menu. TMP's option menu itself has 5 or so tabs, all of which contain many options and further dialog boxes for customization. Nifty.

On a side note, some people have told me that Firefox is abbreviated as FF and not Fx. Not so. This article on the Firefox website tells you everything you need to know about spelling and abbreviating the word.

Just because you use Firefox doesn't mean you shouldn't upgrade to IE7. IE6 is horrendously unsecure, yes, and that's precisely why you should upgrade to 7, even if you don't use it. I use firefox, and I'm upgrading, just so all those security vulnerabilities aren't even on my system any more.

IE drives many things - Outlook Express, AIM, AOL, Windows Media Player, Windows/Microsoft Update, many HTML-based dialogs and parts of Explorer. Like I said, whether you use Internet Explorer as your browser or not, you need this upgrade for the sake of security.

Originally Posted by GDwarf

Nope, as I said, I haven't run it. The fact that it essentially says that it will consume your soul if it feels that your copy is pirated makes me somewhat cautious. I simply do not like giving Microsoft that much control over my PC.

...What are you talking about? You just don't get the update.

Originally Posted by F3

...What are you talking about? You just don't get the update.

What now? Do you mean that as in I don't understand what it does? Or as in I simply shouldn't download it?

For downloading it, you have to in order to install this update. For not understanding what it does, it creates a 'hardware profile' for your PC, should you then attempt to re-install Windows on a computer that doesn't match that, or if another PC has verified with the same code, Windows becomes that much more annoying.

Here's my question: What if I, say, have a catastrophic failure and have to replace some hardware as well as my HDD, would Windows then suddenly start bugging me?

Anyways, I've decided to bite the bullet and get my copy verified, the security benefits outweigh the potential problems.

Buy a Mac, use Safari, be happy

What now? Do you mean that as in I don't understand what it does? Or as in I simply shouldn't download it?

If the "Genuine Check" deems your XP software as "pirated," you can't update to IE 7.

Here's my question: What if I, say, have a catastrophic failure and have to replace some hardware as well as my HDD, would Windows then suddenly start bugging me?

The check is so unreliable, it's really a toss-up. Valid copies have been verified as pirated, and illegal ones as genuine. It's crappy software. We all just have to live with it, for now.

Buy a Mac, use Safari, be happy

I won't be buying a Mac simply for Safari. As far as I know, Safari doesn't do anything better than Firefox, yet.

The IE7 installer forces you to run the WGA check before you can even install IE7.

Now, I would have gone further to see how tight this restriction is, but I don't want that hourly popup that tells you your copy is pirated. So I closed out of it.

I updated about an hour ago. I love it! The smooth text is a little hard to get used to, but it looks way better. I can finally see the abstract in signatures/avies, instead of that annoying shade of blue. The tab feature is awesome.