January 28th, 2007
Microsoft starts gathering IE 8 input
Microsoft has contacted a number of beta testers to seek input it will use to customize Internet Explorer (IE) 8, the next version of its Web browser.
IE 8 is expected to ship 18 to 24 months after IE 7, which Microsoft released last fall, making Version 8.0 a 2008/2009 deliverable, if Microsoft sticks to reported plans.
On January 25, a number of testers reporting receiving e-mail from Microsoft, notifying them of the availability of an IE 8 survey on the Microsoft Connect tester Web site. The survey included a number of questions around RSS feeds, Favorites and browser navigation, in general.
Among the IE 8 survey questions, according to testers:
* How often do you read information that comes from RSS web feeds?
* Do you read feeds outside of IE7? (using Google Reader, FeedDemon, Bloglines, etc.)
* Do you use any other applications that enable you to view feeds you subscribed to in IE7?
* Are there any other applications that you wish used web feeds?
* Do you generally read the comments contributed by other users following a blog/article post?
* If we invested some of our dev resources (at the expense of something else) in better enabling offline feed reading, is this something that you would find compelling enough to benefit from?
* Do you feel your Favorites could be better organized?
* Please outline the circumstances in which you would put web content into these or other applications, and why you do it?
Even if you weren't among the chosen survey recipients, have any IE 8 feedback to send the Softies?
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