A few days ago Microsoft released an update for the Internet Explorer 7. There is no changelog, but a short list of new features from a post in the IEBlog:

  • The menu bar is now visible by default.
  • The Internet Explorer 7 online tour has updated how-to’s. Also, the “first-run” experience includes a new overview.
  • We’ve included a new MSI installer that simplifies deployment for IT administrators in enterprises.

In addition,

[..] Internet Explorer 7 installation will no longer require Windows Genuine Advantage validation [..]

This is really disappointing. Instead of fixing some of the known bugs, this update only offers minimal changes on which I would like to comment.

  1. What is the point in hiding the menu bar in appliations? I can see this trend on new applications from Microsoft like Media Player or Messenger, but why should hiding the menu bar be an advantage? So, re-enabeling the menu bar is a good decision, but why is it placed below the icon bar? This is violating the user interface guidelines and may confuse the users.
  2. The online tour is located on Microsoft's servers. This does technicly not effect the browser application.
  3. The new MSI installer will make it easier to rollout the IE 7 in company installations. This is a good aspect to expand IE's marekt share in enterprise enviroments.
  4. If the installation does not require Windows Genuine Advantage it is possible to run it on all versions of Windows XP — even if they are not original. This procedure seems to expand the market share in the consumer area.

The aim of this update is obvious: expanding the market share at all costs. Microsoft even accepts users with non-orignal copies of Windows installing Internet Explorer 7. Anyway, if this helps users switching to version 7, we web developers should be pleased.