Review: Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 browser

Printing has been improved in Internet Explorer 7, and the new Shrink To Fit option means that the amount of paper needed to produce website page prints is reduced. It is also easy to switch between portrait and landscape images, and removal of headers and footers is a mere mouse click away.

Print Preview not only gives an accurate portrayal of how pages will be printed, but allows these customisations to be tried out. The browser also boasts better support for cascading style sheets and transparent PNG images.

Security has also received a major overhaul in Internet Explorer 7, fronted by the anti-phishing filter. This feature blocks sites known to be malicious, and warns about any which seem suspicious. Additionally, the browser will block ‘spoofed’ domain names which are also used in phishing scams.

Secure servers are generally used for financial transactions, but to improve security further Internet Explorer 7 supports High Assurance Certificates. These help to ensure that the owner of a site really is who they say they are.

It's now easier than ever to clear browsing history, cookies and cache files, so information can be protected on a shared computer. Another new feature sees the inclusion of an address bar in every browser window – including pop ups – to help prevent users being unknowingly redirected to malicious sites.

Internet Explorer 7 goes a long way to prove that Microsoft has been listening to its customers. The browser is not perfect, but it has come on in leaps and bounds. The new features may even be enough to sway some Firefox users back into the Microsoft camp. You can also read our survival guide to Internet Explorer 7.

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