There have been in excess of one million downloads of Internet Explorer 9 since the first Preview was introduced to the public in mid-March 2010. The number, confirmed by a Microsoft spokesperson, is indicative of the huge interest in the next iteration of Internet Explorer, the successor of IE8. Seven weeks after the release of Platform Preview 1, Build 1.9.7.7.45.6019, and a week earlier than initially promised, Microsoft made available for download IE9 Platform Preview 2 Build 1.9.7.7.66.6000, which is currently up for grabs via the IE Test Drive website.

According to the Redmond company, Internet Explorer 9 had reached the one-million-download milestone while in Platform Preview 1 stage. This is jaw dropping, considering that IE9 has been far from a fully fledged browser until now. And downloads are bound to pile up even more, now that the next versions of IE have evolved to Platform Preview 2, bringing to the table an array of enhancements and new features.

In the first half of April 2010, speculation emerged indicating that Internet Explorer 9 v.1.9.7.7.45.6019 had hit the 700,000-download mark. That number remained unconfirmed by the software giant, unlike the latest statistics shared with me just ahead of the release of Platform Preview 2. The exact wording from the Microsoft spokesperson was, “There have been over a million downloads of Internet Explorer 9 Platform Preview 1.”

One aspect that needs to be underlined is that IE9 Platform Preview 2 continues to function much in the same manner of, and serve the same purpose as Platform Preview 1. Essentially, Build 1.9.7.7.66.6000 is a developer preview. This is why the improvements offered by Microsoft are not on the surface of the browser, but under the hood. IE9 Platform Preview 2 features an enhanced overall browsing speed, but also boosted JavaScript performance, better web standards support (HTML5, CSS3, DOM, SVG), and evolved hardware acceleration. None of them are visible with the naked eye.

Still, early adopters need to download IE9 Platform Preview 2 and run it through the tests Microsoft is sharing on IE Test Drive. Better yet, in case testers have another browser installed, even IE8 will do fine, as IE9 Previews install side-by-side, run the samples and compare the results with the latest Preview release. Guaranteed, IE9 will deliver a superior performance.

But don’t expect to run IE9 Platform Preview 2 into production environments, or as your day-to-day browser. Platform Preview 2, just like its predecessor, lacks the full UI of a browser, and elements vital to the browsing process such as an address bar, or Back button functionality.

Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) Platform Preview 2 Build 1.9.7766.6000 is available for download here.