Test Drive Internet Explorer 9

Not even a beta has been released for Microsoft's newest web browser, Internet Explorer 9, but that doesn't have to stop you from testing it out. You can download the "Internet Explorer Platform Preview" over at the official site, and there are even some demos you can play around with that don't require you installing the Platform Preview. Just be aware that this isn't a replacement to your current browser of choice. A Platform Preview is not a beta version and doesn't provide you with full browsing capabilities - there's not even an address bar! The purpose of the Platform Preview is really for developers to get a taste of things to come. In addition, you must be running Windows Vista or Windows 7 with IE8 installed - IE9's GPU-powered graphics take advantage of technologies not found in earlier operating systems, like Windows XP.

Will IE9 replace Firefox and Chrome for many of us? Probably not. But it's still a huge step forward for Microsoft's IE, finally catching up to the other browsers after all these years.