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Microsoft to Unveil New Web Browser this year.
Microsoft to Unveil New Web Browser this year.
Reports suggest Microsoft is working on a new web browser as an alternative to Internet Explorer. Both the scope and timescale of any changes have not yet been confirmed, but it's suggested the launch will coincide with the release of Windows 10.
Most rumors reference two code names for the project: Trident and Spartan. The two names refer to the same strategy: to make Microsoft's web browser better and easier to use on modern websites, while still being able to run web pages designed for legacy systems.
Trident is the web browser engine which already exists and is part of Internet Explorer. In software terms, an engine is a basic framework of computer code. Each new edition of Internet Explorer is based around Trident, even though it comes with numerous tweaks, updates and new features
New, Lightweight Microsoft Browser Expected
Some reports suggest that Microsoft is developing two different versions of Trident for future use, effectively allowing the same computer to run two different forms of Internet Explorer.
One version, which will be very similar to the existing browser, will be able to handle older websites through what's called "compatibility mode". The other version will automatically run on newer web pages where compatibility mode isn't needed. As a result, this newer version will need much less code to operate. In turn, that should mean it runs faster and uses less computer resources.
Some reports go a step further and suggest that Microsoft is ready to ditch the Trident engine outright, with a new browser being designed entirely from scratch. Other reports suggest that the Spartan project may include a few parts of the old Internet Explorer, including the JavaScript engine and the rendering engine.
The new browser will supposedly be speedier, simpler and will retain Internet Explorer's rendering engine, but if earlier leaks are to be believed, will behave more like Chrome or Firefox. Given that Microsoft wants Windows 10 to run on everything from smartphones to televisions, it's highly possible that legacy work will get ditched. There will be both mobile and desktop versions of the new browser, so it will have to facilitate multiple browsing experiences and different input methods.
Internet Explorer Brand May Need Replacing
The various reports, if true, suggest Microsoft is trying to serve two audiences at the same time. On one hand, Microsoft wants to continue offering some form of Internet Explorer to users which are already familiar with the browser and use it on a daily basis.
On the other hand, having a completely new browser may be the only way to overcome Internet Explorer's tarnished reputation. Many users feel that Internet Explorer is too bloated, uses far too many resources, and is highly susceptible to malware infection.
Whatever changes Microsoft makes, the next edition(s) of Internet Explorer are expected to be unveiled in 2015 and will coincide with the release of Windows 10. It's suggested that it may take several months before any changes to Microsoft's browser go out for public testing. It's speculated that the final version of Windows 10 will ship with both Internet Explorer 11 and Spartan.
Internet Explorer 12: Big changes are coming to Trident
Microsoft has found itself in a peculiar position when it comes to browsing the web. With Internet Explorer facing strong competition from Google and Mozilla, a browser ballot screen that is no more, and a new OS on the horizon, Internet Explorer is in a place where it needs a big showing with Windows 10 to make sure that its market share remains ahead of the competition.
Over the years, Internet Explorer has had a perception problem that is rooted in IE6 and for some, IE7 and IE8 too. It's the legacy applications that are still impacting the brand but as recent data shows, even with the negative connotation, overall, IE still remains incredibly relevant in the browser conversation. And with IE12 on the horizon that will bring an updated interface and browser extensions, there are changes going on under the hood that are expected to improve performance for the application.
Microsoft has made a rather large decision regarding Trident, the engine that powers the browser, and no, it's not adopting Webkit. The team behind the engine has forked Trident into two components that will result in a new .DLL when the browser ships.
The forking of Trident, copying off the code base so there are two version, is a strategic move to have legacy support no longer impact modern webpages. How it works, per our internal sources, is that if a page calls for IE to render in a compatibility mode, this will cause the older, more resource intensive Trident engine to display the page. But, if the webpage does not call for compatibility mode, then the updated IE12 Trident engine will handle all of the lifting.
Because of the fork, the modern component of the IE12 should be lightweight compared to what we have now in IE11, at least, that's the hope because all of the legacy base has been removed.
It's because of this fork, we believe, that the rumors started that Microsoft was releasing a brand new browser that's not Internet Explorer. And as Mary-Jo Foley reports, she is hearing that Spartan, which we reported back on in September that has a new user interface, is lightweight browser that may not be called IE12.
IE12 is a huge project for Microsoft and while every release is a big deal, this is the first browser to come out from the Redmond based company since Nadella took the top job. If they screw this up, it will be a significant challenge to overcome if users find that IE12 is not what consumers want to use to consume the web.
The Trident engine has been forked to allow for a new browser, which is being developed under the internal codename 'Spartan'. This browser name has been spotted in a few leaks but its user interface has remained a mystery to the outside world, until now.The UI looks more like Chrome/Firefox than it does Internet Explorer and that's not necessarily a bad thing.
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