Microsoft sets stage for IE9 beta

From InfoWorld: Microsoft has updated its bare-bones preview of Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) for the last time, saying that the next release would be a beta build.

Although Microsoft hasn't named a release date for IE9's beta, the six-to-eight week stretch between each Platform Preview may provide a clue: If the company sticks to the same gap between the fourth preview and the beta, the latter should show on or after Sept. 15.

In IE9 Platform Preview 4, Microsoft has integrated its new JavaScript engine into the browser, finished its work on hardware acceleration, and boosted performance in several areas, including the Acid3 test, said the IE team's leader.

"The IE9 platform is nearly complete," said Dean Hachamovitch, general manager of IE, in a detailed post on the browser's blog Wednesday.

Last updated six weeks ago, the IE9 Platform Preview is not a full-fledged browser, but instead consists of a minimalist interface wrapped around Microsoft's newest rendering and JavaScript engines.

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