Internet Explorer 6 changed the way many of us used the Internet almost a decade ago but since then hasn't really produced something that has been high on the cutting edge table. Internet Explorer 9 is trying to re capture it's title as the #1 Browser while boasting a host of features that are sure to get developers excited once again. Most notably is the fact that IE 9 will now be compatible with HTML 5 The fifth version of the hyper text markup language that is used to code web pages. Currently 99% of sites are using HTML 4 or lower to develop web site but since the marketing inception of Web 2.0 an update to the current HTML needed to be written to support the high level of multimedia integration that you see today.

Now HTML5 may not be something that will interest you right now but Microsoft is definitely setting up the browser to be compatible with tomorrow's web sites. Another interesting feature is the fact that the browser is moving away from leveraging the standard CPU & Memory resources to now drawing from the GPU or Graphic Processing Unit. Your Video Card will now be controlling how you see the Internet.

Browsing the Internet with your Graphics Card

NVIDIA one of today's largest GPU creators is getting behind this in full force as it sees an endless possibility to how this browser can change the game once again. Imagine a site that uses photo-realistic images and mapping that will allow you to move around by touch running at a high frame-rate that will allow you to interact with your browser. Such as a plug-in for FLICKR. View a new game preview from your browser in all the intended pixels and graphical shading. Microsoft hopes that moving away from leveraging the resources the CPU and Memory will give the end user a greater browsing experience.

Interoperability

When IE8 hit the ground back in 2008 the claims were interoperability, a better, more robust and compatible browser. IE9 is claiming to do the same and more... Support for not only HTML5 but support for the new JPEG-XR that allows photos to be compressed to a file size like a JPEG image but the resolution of a TIFF image. Some browsers show some photo differently when previewed from the web depending on the color table that was used from an application such as Adobe RGB or ProPhoto, IE9 corrects the color consortium and displays images correctly no matter what.

Web 3.0

As the changes to how media was interpreted online created the whole "Web 2.0" Phenomenon, will moving the browser to the GPU move us to another new way of displaying the web once again. Perhaps a Web 3.0? Only time will tell ...

Want to Preview Internet Explorer 9.0 Click Here to download the preview.