10.23.06
New stuff in IE7
The world’s most popular web browser has a new lease on life. The headline features of the new browser - improved security, a tabbed interface and anti-phishing controls - are well-know. What’s less well-known is how to get the most out of the new features.
The first major pleasant surprise visually is that the browsing screen appears less cluttered. Gone are the numerous toolbars that consumed too much of your browsing window. Controls work the same way, menus continue to respond as they have before and familiar commands are intact. IE7 uses the menu, address and toolbar area more efficiently so that you see more of what’s important: your web pages. If you want to see all of the toolbars available, just right-click a blank area in the toolbar region and explore the context-sensitive menu.
Scrolling down a long web page is quick and smooth. One of the first things you’ll want to master is the new tabbed interface. With tabs, you have the option of launching new web pages within the same browser window. There’s a button called New Tab in the toolbar, an entry in the File menu that creates a new tab, or you can just use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl-T. Once you have a new tab open, just navigate to a web page the usual way. Your original web page will remain open. Switching among open web pages using the tabbed interface is easy. Even more fun, though, is the Quick Tabs feature, accessible via a button or by pressing Ctrl-Q. Quick Tabs gives you a thumbnail view of all open web pages. Using Quick Tabs makes it simple to go to an already-opened site. You can even use the keyboard’s arrow keys to move among open web pages within the Quick Tabs view. When a thumbnail is highlighted, just press Enter to activate the web page. You close a tab by clicking the “x” that appears in each tab, or you can just press Ctrl-W.
The Tools menu in IE7 gives you access to some tools that make web browsing safer and less frustration. Here, you can activate and configure the integrated pop-up blocker and anti-phishing tool. Phishing is the term used to describe web-based attempts to access your personal information, including account numbers and passwords. The new IE7 also makes it easy to erase your browsing history to protect your privacy. IE7 includes an enhanced Print Preview function that can scale large web pages down to a standard-sized sheet of paper for printing. Microsoft has made the path as painless as possible and should prove a painless upgrade for most.
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