Windows 8 Bible

Internet Explorer 10

Windows 8 ships with Internet Explorer (IE) 10, the latest release in the IE family of web browsers. As you might expect, IE 10 comes in a Windows 8 UI flavor, as shown in Figure 1.10. The Windows 8 version sports the clean, minimalist look of other Windows 8 applications. It’s also built for touch, enabling you to zoom in and out, browse forward and back, and manage the display in other ways with simple gestures, making it a great browser for tablets.

FIGURE 1.10 Internet Explorer 10’s Windows 8 look

In addition to the streamlined look, IE 10 offers a broad range of other new features and enhancements. For example, IE 10 expands its support for HTML5, adds new CSS3 properties and JavaScript features for developers (along with other development additions), and provides great performance.

One thing you won’t find in the Windows 8 version of IE 10 is support for add-ons. Microsoft is moving away from the add-on model and the performance and reliability challenges that add-ons can pose. Instead, Windows 8 IE relies on site developers to leverage HTML5 to build rich browsing experiences without the need for add-ons, and to use feature detection on their sites to determine what browser the user has and to deliver content accordingly.

If you do need a browser that supports ActiveX controls, Silverlight, Flash, and other add-ons, the desktop version of IE 10 included ...