Internet Explorer 7 Beta 3 is now available

Microsoft has just released the beta 3 for IE7.  You can surely download the good here.  For those who have been using the beta 2, please remember to uninstall beta 2 first before installing the beta 3.  You can follow the steps here as well.

The following are the changes made for beta 3, mainly there are improvements in reliability, compatibility, user features, and security:

• reliability has improved as several layout-rendering bugs have been fixed
• improve compatibility with websites and web applications
• contains all the security fixes addressed in the June Internet Explorer Security Bulletin MS06-021
• based on customers’ feedback made some additional changes to the look and feel of the browser
• allows users to add the e-mail button back to the toolbar
• enables users to reorder the tabs by dragging them to the left or right
• enables horizontal scrolling while zooming
• to improve the RSS experience, users can now update all their RSS feeds automatically
• the user now has more control in marking their RSS feeds as “READ”

Did you download a copy?

What is your guess?  How many people downloaded the Windows Vista Beta 2 Customer Preview Program (CPP)?  Apparently, Microsoft has not release this information yet.  However the bandwidth needed to cater for everyday download had reached a stage whereby increasing the bandwidth some more will potentially bring down the whole Internet!

Incidentally, if you have not download a copy, the Customer Preview Program has already been closed.

Windows Vista Beta 2 is looking good

After using Windows Vista Beta 2 (Build 5384.4) for about one whole day, I find that this is the most polish Windows Vista OS ever since Microsoft releases CTP build at the PDC 05.  It seems that Microsoft has gotten their act together to deliver a much better experience.  The look and feel are all iron out nicely with more consistency.

Performance is also much better.  It used to be that after you login, you’ve got to wait a while before you can get hold of the command to order the computer around.  This time round a fade out and fade in, then you can straight make use of the quick launch bar, the start menu or even right click to personalize your computer.  Even the installation take shorter time than last build.

Its getting better and better; I am looking forward for the actual release so that I can use it daily for all my regular business.

Office 2007 Beta 2 is out for the public

Yes it is finally out.  Click on the link below and try it out.  Go ahead, its a good software, worth the time you spend on it to try (or should I say test?).

I am definitely going to check this new release of Office 2007 out.  New usability idea, can I use that “Ribbon” in my application development?

http://www.microsoft.com/office/preview/

Windows Vista Beta 2 is out – But its not for public yet

So Windows Vista Beta 2 (Build 5384.4) is out for Connect (those who are in the Beta program) and MSDN Subscribers.  I am currently downloading the iso and hopefully will be able to install it come tomorrow.  During the keynotes for WinHEC, I think it is also mentioned that public will be able to get their hands on Windows Vista Beta 2 by this coming few weeks.  So anyone who is not on the above 2 programs will need to be patience and wait for it to go public.

I believe a bunch of bugs has been solved for this Beta 2 and hopefully there will also be some performance boost from the last CTP.

Windows Live

Anyone trying out Windows Live?  I was giving it another try (the previous time my setting was not saved and things were quite messy, but its beta software, what do you expect?) and surprisingly this time round it is quite a satisfying experience.

According to Microsoft, Windows Live or Live.com is about 3 things:

1. The best place to search on the web
2. A personalized portal
3. Get the benefits of Windows and Windows Live services

It is a place where you can host all these cool gadgets like weather forecast, hotmail notification, image search, safety center, word of the day, story of the day and so on.  You can even host your favourite RSS feed on this page.  The best thing is though the RSS feed appear in headline form, if you hover your mouse over the “more” text beside each headline, you will be able to read the full post.  That to me is so cool.

Windows Defender for Windows XP

Formerly known as Microsoft Antispyware.  Windows Defender is a free software that will help your fight against spyware.  So if you are interested you can get the Beta 2 here.

IE 7 Beta 2 is out

Currently, the new beta will only work with WinXP SP2.  I guess Windows Vista will get the IE 7 Beta 2 in their upcoming Feb CTP.  New to IE 7 is the new interface, which get rid of the old bulky toolbar, and let you see more of the web page. Next is the tabbed browsing (this should not be anything new to users of Firefox and Safari) which let you open several web sites in a single instance of IE 7 using tabs.  Then you have the new built-in search box on the top right corner, this search box even let you select your own favourite search engine like Google, Yahoo and so on.  Another new feature is the RSS Feeds which let you view the headlines and post from your favourite blogs or websites.  Last but not least, is the new phishing detection engine, which let you know whether a website is really just a phishing site.

You can get the beta here.

DHL?

When I reached the office this morning, something strange was on my desk.  A yellow and red package from DHL.  Looking at the address, I noticed that it was from Microsoft.  Quickly I startup my PC and went to get my coffee.  Tore the thing open, and inside contain a letter and a couple of DVD.  Its Office 12 Beta-1!  I was thinking Microsoft is so cool!  There I was in L.A. at the PDC05 last September and Microsoft was telling us that those who attended the PDC this year will get to try out the upcoming Office 12 Beta-1.  But we need to log on to download a copy.  Fast foward to the near present, and I wanted to try out the Office 12, but I kept forgetting to bring the slip of paper that state the userid and password.  And now, here it is, right in front of me!