Video preview of next IE mobile version: more like the desktop
Microsoft is showing off a preliminary look of the next Internet Explorer Mobile version at CTIA and Brighthand has the above video evidence. No doubt about the embedded Flash video support as shown near the end with a YouTube video playing natively in the browser. I couldn't tell from the video how the variable zoom feature was being controlled, but it looks fantastic in this early peek. I like the "smart" zooming offered by the iPhone, which automatically zooms to the width of the content you tap, so perhaps we'll see a similar function. All in all, it's looking good; nice to see Microsoft bring the desktop browser engine into handhelds.
>>>with a YouTube video playing natively in the browser
Check your eyes. That video wasn't playing. It was just sitting there, stopped or paused.
Posted by: Mike Cane | April 02, 2008 at 11:44 AM
Good point Mike. Come to think of it, they never navigated to any other web sites during the demo either, they just brought out other devices showing other pages. Now I'm starting to wonder if it's ALL a scam. ;)
Posted by: Kevin C. Tofel | April 02, 2008 at 11:59 AM
It's Microsoft. Of course it's a scam!
I'm emailing Mulder & Scully, dammit.
Posted by: Mike Cane | April 02, 2008 at 01:20 PM
The fact that what they did show looks the way it is supposed to is enough of an improvement without demonstrating actual usage. The current IE Mobile absolutely sucks and would have mangled those pages to Hell and back.
Posted by: GoodThings2Life | April 02, 2008 at 02:17 PM
It's shocking to see a technology so advanced that its competitors just muck around trying to catch up. That's what I see after owning the Ipod Touch for about a month now. The browser experience is excellent and fun. Google Maps is better than on my laptop, same for reading feeds. It's the only Apple gear I own. Viewing this video is quite an eye-opener.
Posted by: AL | April 02, 2008 at 06:07 PM
I agree with AL. the new IE looks like a safari copycat.
Posted by: nikooo | April 03, 2008 at 10:47 AM
not only safari, but nokia s60, and opera mini. so not only did they steal all their "new" technology, they also came in stone dead last! The only innovation i see is flash 9 and i doubt its actually flash 9 (the only truly mobile devices ive seen with that is the nokia tablet series) its probably flash lite 3 which cant play flash videos either, it can only show placeholders, or so I've been told.
Posted by: jc | April 04, 2008 at 12:03 AM