Microsoft plans to follow its browser rivals and
introduce tabbed browsing to its forthcoming Internet Explorer
7.
Internet Explorer 7 main objective is to deliver increased
security but Microsoft said it would also be looking to improve
user functionality.
Rival browsers Firefox and Opera already provide users with
tabbed browsing, and Internet Explorer product manager Dean
Hachamovitch said that “basic” tabbed browsing would be available
in the beta version of Internet Explorer 7.
There are already free Internet Explorer 7 plug-ins available on
the internet with support for tabbed browsing and other
features.
Hachamovitch said Microsoft wasn’t seeking to replace the
options already open to users from third parties. But with rivals
such as the open source Firefox enjoying rapid take-up partly as a
result of its extra functionality, Microsoft is seeking to make up
some lost ground.
The beta for Internet Explorer 7 will be available this summer
for users of Windows XP Service Pack 2.