Internet Explorer 9 Launch on March 14

Microsoft announced that it would officially launch Internet Explorer (IE) 9 on March 14, 2011. The final version, IE 9, will thus release almost exactly one year after the first IE 9 platform preview was unveiled. Microsoft’s Internet Explorer 9 team is planning to host a party during the South by southwest (SXSW) music and film festival in Austin, Texas.

Microsoft Program Manager Ryan Gavin wrote in the announcement post, “Exactly twelve months from the first Platform Preview of IE9, on Monday March 14th we will celebrate the developers and designers who are making a more beautiful web for all of us.  We will release the final version of Internet Explorer 9 for download beginning at 9 p.m. Pacific.

The initial platform preview build was followed by several other platform preview releases, and the company issued a public beta in September 2010, followed by release candidate (RC) build in early February.

Microsoft launched its final development milestone version of Internet Explorer 9 on February 10. The software giant’s main change in Internet Explorer 9 RC is the addition of Tracking Protection. Internet Explorer 9  RC offers users a new opt-in mechanism to identify and block many forms of undesired tracking such as cookies, web beacons, advertisements and trackers. Tracking protection involves lists that can be published online. Microsoft’s second security enhancement is the ability to block ActiveX controls. Internet Explorer 9 RC includes an “ActiveX filter” option. The filter allows users to switch off ActiveX elements within their session, furthering Microsoft’s commitment to security within its browser.

Microsoft has also signed-off on the final golden RTW (RTM) build of Internet Explorer 9 as 9.00.8112.16421.110308-0330. The escrow builds marked the final stage of Internet Explorer 9′s development before the company finalized its RTW build. Microsoft revealed on Tuesday that users have downloaded 36 million copies of Internet Explorer since its beta release in September.

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