Internet Explorer 9

Internet Explorer 9 is a web browser from Microsoft, and this version includes a vast array of features that help the software run as efficiently as possible.

IE 9 is able to take advantage of InPrivate technology that allows for private browsing. That means any websites visited won't be logged, and you won't accept cookies from any site. Thanks to the advanced tools in IE 9, the user can now personalize their privacy settings to allow certain types of personal data to be shared with certain sites.

Microsoft has upped the security of Internet Explorer for this version. It includes tools that protect your online activities from tracking, and the SmartScreen Filter helps you stay away from unsavory pages by checking the security certificate of every site you use.

Internet Explorer 9 is the first version of the classic browser to include a tab system. For users who hate having multiple windows open at once, this is an excellent update. It seems strange that Microsoft would wait so long to implement such a universally desired feature, but at least they've finally caught up to the benchmark browsers.

Of course, the fact that IE is one of the oldest browsers also means it has intriguing and useful options. You can alter the language settings so that websites appear in whatever language you select. This is helpful for those who frequently travel out of the country, or for those who simply want to see webpages in a language besides English. The browser comes with a built-in search engine functionality, and it uses Bing by default, of course. Thankfully, you can change the default search engine to something you prefer.

One area where Internet Explore has famously faltered is extensions, but IE 9 doesn't have that problem. This version has a fair number of plugins to optimize your flow, and the extension performance center offers a real-time view of resources used by various plugins. You can find plugins slowing down your software and remove them.

Internet Explorer 9 is a vast improvement upon the past versions of the software, but it hasn't reached the end yet. There are still a number of features that need to be tweaked and optimized. The support for plugins, additional security and privacy options, and performance center put Internet Explorer 9 on par with other benchmark browsers.

Even with the many advancements that have come to Internet Explorer, it still has a long way to go before it's competing evenly with industry leaders like Firefox or Chrome. Even Opera is smaller and more efficient than IE 9, but that doesn't change the fact that IE 9 is a fine browser that will work efficiently in a pinch. The app is too large to let it run quickly, and it's too small for the plugin support.