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Did Microsoft Russia leak the new Internet Explorer 9 user interface?
This time the leaked Internet Explorer 9 image we're looking at is a bit more trustworthy than the mock-up we received back on April 1st. As Mary Jo Foley reports, the image above was posted by Microsoft's Russian PR site, though the post has since been pulled from the server and now returns a 404 error.
If this is the new interface, it's certainly been simplified from the IE8 incarnation. A few things look odd to me, however. First, there's the way the back button is cut off by the Bing Web page -- it seems like the UI element should float on top rather than being cropped by the content below. I'm also not convinced that placing the tabs next to the address bar is a good move -- the bar will be quite cramped when multiple tabs are open.
I do like the look of the favorites, home, and history(?) button on the far-right side and the introduction of a unified address/search box. Too often I've had a circular conversation while trying to instruct users to type into the address bar and not the search box in IE. This is one change I'd be really happy to see.
It's only two and a half more weeks until we find out if this is our first look at the IE9 beta interface. Even then, it'll be a beta version -- and could very well change before the final version ships early next year.
If this is the new interface, it's certainly been simplified from the IE8 incarnation. A few things look odd to me, however. First, there's the way the back button is cut off by the Bing Web page -- it seems like the UI element should float on top rather than being cropped by the content below. I'm also not convinced that placing the tabs next to the address bar is a good move -- the bar will be quite cramped when multiple tabs are open.
I do like the look of the favorites, home, and history(?) button on the far-right side and the introduction of a unified address/search box. Too often I've had a circular conversation while trying to instruct users to type into the address bar and not the search box in IE. This is one change I'd be really happy to see.
It's only two and a half more weeks until we find out if this is our first look at the IE9 beta interface. Even then, it'll be a beta version -- and could very well change before the final version ships early next year.
Comments
16
Subscribe to commentsJoshAug 25th 2010 11:35AM
If they are truly planning on doing that with their tabs, someone needs to be fired. As someone who wants to go into UI and UX design, that makes me cringe.
PeterAug 25th 2010 12:17PM
I agree - unless you have an insane, widescreen resolution, this isn't going to work for most people.
Brainy142Aug 25th 2010 1:02PM
lol... you can fit like 3 tabs
ChrisAug 25th 2010 11:38AM
i like it cause its VERY clean looking, it may need some tweaking, the idea of address and tabs on 1 line is interesting, i mean honestly on a 1280 res screen who needs a frigging 12" long address bar? give me 3" address bar and leave the rest for tabs, as long as they have a "expansion/expose" for those people that have a LOT of tabs then their set. or maybe tab groups like drop down tab categories kinda like how windows 7 does the startbar.
PeterAug 25th 2010 12:13PM
The "back" button is not that odd being cut off. This is the style used on their Zune and Windows Phone devices, so would make sense they would carry their look across all platforms.
yabunAug 25th 2010 12:50PM
I freakin' hate IE! I see no reason why that will change with version 9.
In IE8, if you show menus, there are 2 "Tools" menus and they seem to have different stuff in them.
The "X" to close a tab only shows up on the tab I have active. Maybe I want to clean up a couple tabs and quickly close the ones I'm not using.
And right-clicking the back/forward buttons doesn't bring up my recent history. I have to hit that little down arrow for that. Not sure why, but I hate that, too.
The UI makes me burp up little pieces of vomit.
ScraynAug 25th 2010 6:58PM
Tell us how you really feel.
IE really isn't that bad of a browser. I use Firefox as my main, but my stance on IE has changed from total opposition on v6 to a "not the best, but not the worst" with the current version.
It's really improved since Microsoft actually formed an IE dev team again.
yabunAug 27th 2010 11:12AM
The vomit comment little much? My mood was a somewhat bitter when I wrote that, but IE continues to be too little too late. Despite being late to the game, IE8 also suffers from:
No peal off tabs. These are great in Chrome and Firefox. Chrome does it better, though. If you drag out a tab playing Pandora in Chrome it keeps on playing. Last time I checked, Firefox reloads the page.
The IE8 welcome wizard is so annoying (it's probably not a big deal for most people, but I have to use lots of different computers for work)
IE8 is very inefficient with real estate.
I like a "home" button next to my go-back/go-forward buttons.
I like the yellow background on the address bar when the site uses SSL, not a little padlock off to the side. That's so Netscape.
The "Internet Options" dialog box is, well, too much.
Browser updates require a reboot.
...The list goes on and on
Man, I hope the IE9 team is listening because I still need IE for certain webapps.
JonnyAug 25th 2010 1:21PM
Thats quite nice. I'm a chrome user but I'll give it a try when it comes out. My loyalty really only lies with the fastest, most feature rich browser. I dunno if that will be IE, but I'll at least give it a shot.
JamesAug 25th 2010 1:37PM
The tabs need to be up in the Title Bar like Chrome does. That is the best place for them, and I'd like to see my browser, FireFox do the same.
Lucas K.Aug 25th 2010 2:21PM
Looks like the far right button is a settings/tool/options type button, not history btw. I actually don't mind the look of this and the back button being cut off isn't that big of a deal. Maybe there's more to it like animations or something too if you hover over a specific area of a toolbar, tab, page, etc. I am not sure about the tab bar on the same line as the address bar either. I guess they don't want to blatantly rip off the tabs on top idea everyone is moving to lately, so they're trying that out. I like the tabbed groups idea, but I bet this may be just some sort of "idea" layout or something. Guess we'll see in 2-1/2 weeks or so.
Kenn.keeperAug 25th 2010 2:39PM
I can never figure out why all the hub-bub about the way somethings look even though it's not even out yet, let alone believing some info from who know where that is now a 404. Check your reality IQ to see if it working properly.
Oh, by the way has anyone seen what the 2085 Iwannaget looks like. I hear it's pretty cool.........
Free is Good...
Kenn.....
Lonnie McClureAug 25th 2010 3:47PM
Perhaps the tabs move to a separate line when they exceed a specific number.
CURTDAWGAug 25th 2010 5:09PM
Perhaps non-Active tabs appear as just mini-tabs (ala "Application" tabs).
Either way, I agree with James. All that unused UI-real estate above the address bar.. USE IT!
Looks clean though:)
CamAug 25th 2010 10:14PM
The back button is partially cut off in Zune, too. I actually think it's kinda cool.
Also: IE9 needs more metro.
GregAug 30th 2010 10:43AM
How much space do you people need for tabs? I like the design, it's much nicer than IE8. And the back button floating over top of the webpage would be a bad idea--your focus is supposed to be on the website, not the back button.