Internet Explorer 9 Developer Preview Now Available
Internet Explorer 9 Developer Preview Now Available
Posted 03/16/2010 at 8:25am
| by Paul Lilly
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The big news in browser development today is that Microsoft made a series of announcements surrounding its upcoming Internet Explorer 9 at MIX10. Chief among them is that the IE9 Platform Preview is now available for public consumption, but that's really just the tip of the iceberg.
Microsoft also announced that IE9 includes expanded support for HTML5, hardware-accelerated graphics and text, and a brand new JavaScript engine build from the ground up.
"Internet Explorer 9 enabling GPU-accelerated HTML5 is a milestone for visual computing," said Drew Henry, general manager of GeForce and ION GPU business unit at Nvidia. "By harnessing the power of Nvidia GPUs, Internet Explorer 9 removes the glass ceiling for Web developers, enabling them to build graphically rich, high-performing Web applications."
Keeping in mind that this is a Preview release, you'll notice that IE9 doesn't come with a fleshed out user interface. The Preview is basically designed to show off the JavaScript engine -- codenamed "Chakra" -- and GPU acceleration. Look for a lot more preview builds before the browser goes beta.
Nvidia's Take
Keynote on Demand
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Taz0
March 17, 2010 at 7:28am
Exactly half of the comments so far (5/10) are complaints about the fact that IE9's hardware acceleration won't work on ATI cards. Where the hell did you get that idea? Is there anything in the article that says this is an nVidia exclusive feature? Just because Paul included nVidia's comments, doesn't mean that AMD hasn't said the same thing: http://blogs.amd.com/developer/2010/03/16/ie9-takes-advantage-of-the-gpu/
Get a grip on yourself, people.
Also, you really can't compare WebGL, which is basically a JavaScript OpenGL API, to IE9's hardware acceleration. WebGL allows you to accelerate certain calls, which would enable a hardware accelerated CANVAS on websites that utilize it. IE9's hardware acceleration moves all rendering to the GPU, not only CANVAS and not only HTML5. It's hardware acceleration for all website, new and old, and for all parts of the page. Canvas is the plugin-less version of Flash/Sliverlight/JavaFX, WebGL is the equivalent of a hardware accelerated Flash, which is not as big of a deal as a hardware accelerated browser (such as IE9).
lien_meat
March 16, 2010 at 2:56pm
Well, I'm glad MS is trying to stay a head of the game with gpu acceleration, but I honestly think it might be too little to late again for them.
Webgl is looking pretty appealing, and the beta versions of both webkit and geko rendering engines (chrome, safari, and firefox's rendering engines) have webgl support. That basically means html5 canvas and other stuff will have javascript opengl bindings. There are already quite a few webgl javascript libraries out there. Now if webgl actually picks up steam, it's not just bound to nvida cards is the nice thing...it's any opengl capable device...
MrGeek
March 16, 2010 at 2:36pm
Non Nvidia won't get eye candy?! WTH?? My 5870 leaves anything Nvidia has in the dust right now!
nekollx
March 16, 2010 at 2:40pm
called it!
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kevaskous
March 16, 2010 at 2:21pm
Agree'd, will wait for this to come into a real browser anyways, by then it will work on anything anyways.
COMMANDER_COOK
March 16, 2010 at 1:46pm
I can't wait for this to go mainstream.
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gendoikari1
March 16, 2010 at 12:09pm
I don't think a 55/100 on Acid3 is something to be proud of...
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COMMANDER_COOK
March 16, 2010 at 1:45pm
It's better than the 20 IE8 was making.
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nekollx
March 16, 2010 at 10:20am
*generic ATI get's the shaft rant here*
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Coming soon to Lulu.com --Tokusatsu Heroes--
Five teenagers, one alien ghost, a robot, and the fate of the world.
TechJunkie
March 16, 2010 at 10:04am
Glad to see this! They are finally harnessing the power of a 400$ GPU instead of just for gaming!
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