Earlier this morning, Microsoft announced a new developer preview of Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) during its PDC keynote. This new version is very similar to the first developer preview the company launched earlier this year, as it does not feature the full Chrome-like user interface Microsoft introduced with the first public beta of IE9. Instead, it is meant to give developers the ability to test their Web apps against the improved rendering engine’s new capabilities like CSS3 2D transforms.
Even though the user interface is disabled by default, though, a small hack makes it possible to use the preview with a full user interface.
Microsoft also notes that this latest preview also includes some speed improvements. As the IE9 team continues to highlight throughout today’s event, the focus of IE9 is to give developers the ability to use “the whole PC.” This includes hardware acceleration, as well as the ability to treat Web apps like full-blown desktop apps and pin them to the taskbar.
The company also released a new set of speed tests for IE9 and other modern browsers. One thing that was not announced during the keynote today was a launch date for IE9.
Enable the User Interface in the Developer Preview
Our friends over at Ars Technica found a way to use the IE9 preview engine within the IE9 beta chrome. While it’s a bit of a hack, it’s quite easy to do and should be perfectly safe. If you are feeling adventurous, just head over here and give it a try.
