IE 8 'designed for usability'

Category: Usability

June 3rd 08, 12:03

The newest edition of Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE) browser has a focus on usability.

This is according to the Economic Times, which said that while Microsoft has also tried to improve stability, IE 8's new usability features are likely to provoke the most anticipation among web users.

Such elements include the Activities tool, which tries to help users avoid visiting multiple websites by bringing up essential services without leaving the webpage they are currently viewing.

Another element, Web Slices, enables internet users to subscribe to those parts of sites that are regularly updated, similar to an RSS feed.

Both the Activities and Web Slices features can only be used if website owners enable visitors to do so.

"The code for doing so is fairly simple and non-proprietary, however, so it will likely simply be a matter of time before many sites become 'IE 8 aware' and users start seeing the Activities and Web Slices icons as they surf their favourite sites," the Economic Times said.

Nick MacKechnie of Microsoft recently said in a blog post that webmasters need to make sure their sites are prepared for the arrival of IE 8, as a beta release of the browser is due in the third quarter of 2008.

This news story was brought to you by Bluhalo, a leading UK digital agency.

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