The IE development team blog at: http://blogs.msdn.com/ie/Rss.aspx

So - although they don't blog often - that's a good place to start.

W.

I don't think we will see anything except security patches. The last 'new features' were added as a Service Pack enhancement to the OS and I don't think they want to go through that just to make their browser better. After all it is still, far and away, the most popular browser - why SHOULD they change it? (I KNOW why, but from an MS point of view it's an awful lot of work for something that is already in the best position it could be, even if it is losing ground fast)

As for what Longhorn brings.. well it's a toss up between more features and a heavier client, and it's likely to be both.

Improvement does Microsoft know what that words means? Don't think so. The downfall in marketshare does not scare them enough to make quick improvements. Most of the companies stay with IE. They will wait to see what happens. And the Gartner group is helping them with tere latest publishing.

Birds of a Feather (http://www.devx.com/DevX/Article/17899) by Nigel McFarlane fro m November 2003 (yeah, I know, it's a bit out of date) compares MS's XAML and XUL and is concluding both are equivalent. I think MS will follow MoFo in FF steps and will introduce XAML based not only revamped IE, but also other apps, such as Lookout (Outlook nicked by Sun's NcNealy) and maybe Office. They know how to surprise rest of the world. Beware of their marketing massage. Anyway, whatever they'll rewrite using XAML, they'll provide a huge documentation for developer, this time. Don't you believe? Time changes.

tom

I think that they maybe won't improve the core program in terms of features, but they'll certainly "improve" the FUD and marketing surrounding it, as well as promote alternatives to Firefox.

This is already evident in how they've made the so-called Windows Marketplace, and started the IE blog. They're trying to respond to Firefox, not by employing new and exciting products, but to pretend that they always were and still are the best through an extensive marketing campaign. And marketing is one aspect where Microsoft beats the Mozilla Foundation by miles.

I don't think that they're ready to strike back with radical improvements to IE just yet, but if they see that Firefox becomes a real threat (IMHO it isn't yet), then they'll either blast it away like they did with Netscape, or try to join forces.

I read somewhere that there was speculation that IE had hit a critical mass and that any attempt to change the code (fix bugs, security patches) would only result in further bugs, security holes.

I don't know if this is true, but I just get the feeling that MS may take a lesson away from all this (if that's possible) and completely redo IE. If they're smart, this will happen. If they rest on their laurels and simply bloat IE with crap when Longhorn comes out, I don't think IE will make it, regardless of their marketing.

First, current market situation is better for MS than it was befor FF appeared. MS can now claim that it is not a monopolist, while it still commands market. Though its market share is eroding, the pace is not so alarming - around 0,5 percentage points a month, which makes 6 p.p. per year, or they could keep more than half of the market for next 7 years.

Microsoft is more interested in corporate market, so their focus will be on XALM. That is enough to keep them in corporations, maybe even forever. And it is definetly more profitable for them to incorporate XALM than full CSS2 (I heard the same thing Jacob said).

The biggest issue is whether IE7 will have at least full CSS2. If that doesn't happen, sites that do not render correctly in IE may appear, and then that would heart IE position a lot. Other than that I don't doubt too much - changes other than under the hood will be in the same level to those changes made from IE4 to now - cosmetical.

The question is not whether they will, but whether they can. The answer is obvious, they could still obliterate Firefox if they choose to, especially since , IMHO, the Firefox crew seems to be showing quite a few signs of that worst nightmare scenario - complacency.

My question is not what MS will do, but what MoFo will do with Fx? Please email if I've missed any documents explaining a list of interesting new features for upcoming Fx releases. All I seem to see instead is Ben moving on (in part) and Blake talking about showbusiness. At least you are encouraging new ideas Asa, such as rich text editing and other blog-friendly features.

Bill read your post now the come with Ie 7 in the summer see: http://news.com.com/IE+update+to+debut+ahead+of+plans/2100-1032_3-5577263.html?part=rss&tag=5575731&subj=news.1032.5