Microsoft Corp is developing a feature in its new operating system that allows users to turn off Internet Explorer and other key Microsoft programs.

The new feature is a major step for the world's largest software company, which has been accused by competitors and regulators of forcing consumers to run its own software, squeezing rivals' offerings out of the marketplace. "In addition to the features that were already available to turn on or off in Windows Vista
, we've added the following features to the list in Windows 7," said a Microsoft blog published on Friday, listing Internet Explorer 8, Windows Media Player and a host of other Microsoft programs.

The publicly available blog was written by Jack Mayo, a manager in the team developing Microsoft's new Windows 7 operating system, which will replace the unpopular Vistaearly next year. The new design will make it easier for users to remove any traces of Internet Explorer from their desktop, although the software will remain installed on the computer, and allow them to run other browsers more smoothly.

Last month Google Inc, which recently launched its own Chrome browser, joined the Mozilla foundation, producer of the Firefox Web browser, and Norway's Opera, in protesting Microsoft's dominance in the browser market. In January, European regulators brought formal charges against Microsoft for abusing its dominant market position by bundling its Internet Explorer Web browser with its Windows operating system, which is used in 95 percent of the world's personal computers. In the past decade, Microsoft has fallen afoul of both U.S. and European antitrust regulators for bundling key programs with its operating system.

After the Great success of IE7,and the Beta version of Internet Explorer 8, the Microsoft has decided to launch its Final IE 8 in the Next year of March 2009.
In fact, a recent move from the Redmond company reveals that the gold release of IE8 might come as late as over a year after the launch of the Beta 1 build, if not even later. Of course, with no official confirmation, anticipating the final release of IE8 is nothing short of examining chicken entrails. However, the Redmond company does provide indications pointing to the availability of Internet Explorer 8 closer to, or even well into, the second quarter of 2009.
The pre-released versions of IE8 Beta 2 is available on the Microsoft site.Although the official help and support is currently focused on Windows Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 (All Languages), Microsoft doesemphasize that pre-released versions of the browser are in fact supported, and not just the second Beta. Up to this point in time the company has promised to support development milestones of IE8 until March 31, 2009.
“Free unlimited installation and usage support is available for Internet Explorer 8 pre-released versions, but only for North America English customers.
This support for Internet Explorer 8 pre-released versions is valid until March 31st, 2009. Advanced issues are not supported. Advanced issues include, but are not limited to, problems that are associated with software and hardware development, domain connectivity, server-based technologies, Web site development, and business-critical systems,” the message on the page reads, as you can very well see from the adjacent image.
The initial deadline for the IE8 pre-RTW support cut-off date was November 1, 2008. In mid-November, Microsoft pushed the date forward to December 31, 2008. Furthermore, just ahead of the start of 2009, support for IE8 pre-RTW was extended until the end of March 2009.

The battle of the browsers always comes down to Mozilla's open-source Firefox and Micrsoft's tight-lidded Internet Explorer, and no matter how hard Opera, Flock, Safara, and the rest of the alternate browser try to join the fight, there just doesn't appear to be room for a third contender. Or is there?
Fenrir, a Japanse software company, apparently never got the memo and thinks it has a chance at snagging 5 percent of the browser market within the next few years. And while most of us would automatically shrug at such an impossibly ambitious notion, it would be a mistake to dismiss the company's claim without a second glance.Most Americans have probably never heard of the Sleipnir browser, but in Japan, 6 percent of surfers are cruising the web with it (Fenrir says it's more like 9 percent). Like Firefox, Sleipir has built a reputation for itself based on its high level of customization, including the ability to switch back and forth between the Trident and Gecko layout engines (used by Internet Explorer and Firefox, respectively) with the click of a button.

Development of the Sleipnir browser began back in 2005 and there has always been an English version to correspond with the main Japanese version, but a recent spike in international demand has sparked the company to target Firefox and IE user more aggressively. In what would be no small task, the company says it wants to grow from its estimated 100,000 users all the way up to 17 million with a big focus on the English-speaking market.

Does Fenrir have a fighting chance? Give the download a try and see for yourself.

Congratulatory cake delivered to Mozilla, Microsoft's IE (Internet Explorer) team might want to eat this!

Five odd hours into the release of Mozilla's latest "Firefox 3" Internet browser, and the newbie seems to have garnered as many as 1.6 million downloads -- a number its predecessor 'Firefox 2' saw only at the end of one whole day, claim developers of Firefox 3. The opening hours alone recorded as many as 9,000 free copies being distributed on a per minute basis. Downloads continued well into the next day with Mozilla rallying support of its fans in trying to break an all new Guinness World Record for the largest number of software downloads in 24 hours -- a difficult but not impossible task.Possibly the same kind of enthusiasm was responsible for a delayed release earlier on Tuesday when traffic to the MozillaWeb site (http://www.getfirefox.com) overwhelmed Firefox Web servers causing the Web site to crash and remain slow or worse - unreachable - for a good two hours. Free downloads of Firefox 3 began only after the problem was solved.

About Firefox 3: Mozilla claims the newest iteration of its browser allows for fast, secure, and easy-to-customize Internet surfing. Firefox 3 is being made available in 50 languages, and according to Mozilla, is "at least twice as fast as its predecessor" besides boasting "15,000 improvements" that include malware protection. Firefox 3 is available as a free download for computers running Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X operating systems.

Since the launch of the very first Firefox in November of 2004, Mozilla claims the browser has spread to over 175 million users and 230 coutries, so much so that it now comes a close second to Microsoft's ubiquitous Internet Explorer. Although many would counter that saying Firefox is the best!