Internet Explorer 10 (IE10) Platform Preview 3 (PP3) Exclusively in Windows 8

A new pre-release version of Internet Explorer 10 is available to early adopters for testing, but testers running Windows 7 won’t be able to get it.

IE10 is the default browser of Windows 8, as users must know by now, but it will also be supported on its predecessor, Windows 7. The successor of IE9 won’t play nice with any additional operating systems, including Windows Vista and Windows XP.

Per the IE9 development model, Microsoft has started providing Platform Preview Builds of IE10 earlier this year.

The first two developer preview releases of Internet Explorer 10 were released to early adopters testing the browser on Windows 7.

The third IE10 Platform Preview is available exclusively with the Windows 8 Developer Preview that the software giant launched at BUILD last week.

At least for the time being, the only way to download and take out for a spin IE10 PP3 is to also grab Windows 8 Build 8102 Milestone 3 (M3), as there’s no other new release of the browser.

Internet Explorer 10 Platform Preview 3 is not available for Windows 7. Testers running this operating system will not only not be able to get IE10 PP3 for their OS, but there’s no new IE10 Platform Preview release for them at this point in time.

IE10 PP2, provided on June 29, 2011, remains the latest platform preview of Internet Explorer that Windows 7 users can download and test.

But what’s important to underline is the fact that there will be at least one more Platform Preview release of IE10 for Windows 7, although Microsoft is not saying when it’s doming, noting only that it will be offered at a future date, and not much else beyond that.

But there’s good reason to test IE10 PP3 on Windows 8, including getting a taste of the new Metro flavor of IE10.

Windows 8 Developer Preview Build 8102 Milestone 3 (M3) is available for download here.

Windows Internet Explorer 9 RTW for Windows 7 and Windows 7 SP1 is available for download here.