blufive

Until quite recently, Microsoft have been saying that their next web browser release would only happen as part of the next version of Windows (AKA Longhorn). This has been driving many web developers up the wall, as IE is now the worst of the major browsers in terms of standards support.

Well, they've changed their tune (not at all due to a. n. other web browser gaining users rapidly, no-sirree, Bob). From their press release:

[Bill] Gates announced Internet Explorer 7.0, designed to add new levels of security to Windows XP SP2 while maintaining the level of extensibility and compatibility that customers have come to expect. Internet Explorer 7.0 will also provide even stronger defenses against phishing, malicious software and spyware. The beta release is scheduled to be available this summer.

Comments from the dev team here.

It'll be XPSP2-only (so those still on Win2K are stuffed) and given MS's typical release schedules, "beta in the Summer" probably means a final release in September, at the earliest. The reasons given are all security, security, security, which is a good thing, but... there's no mention of any changes in page rendering at all. Almost to the level of it being subject-non-grata. Which worries me a little.

[via adot's notblog*, which also has a bunch of links to other comments on the subject]