The browser may arrive at the end of February or in early March

Feb 15, 2013 13:54 GMT  ·  By

Microsoft is getting ready to release the final version of Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7, the latest build of its in-house browser that’s currently available on Windows 8 exclusively.

According to some inside sources cited by The Register, Microsoft’s Internet Explorer division is planning to release the new browser at the end of February or in early March, even though the company initially planned to make the app available to users at the end of the next month.

While the Redmond-based technology giant is yet to publicly confirm this, such a release pretty much makes sense given the fact that the company rolled out the Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7 automatic update blocker toolkit in late January.

Basically, this app allows businesses who wish to stick to their previous Internet Explorer version to block the installation of IE10, as the browser will be delivered via the integrated Windows Update option.

The source reports that Microsoft is struggling to release Internet Explorer 10 on Windows 7 platforms sooner than initially planned especially because the company has invested heavily in making the browser available on this operating system.

Windows 7 remains the most popular operating system in the entire world, and Internet Explorer 10 represents one of the most ambitious projects of the IE division, so making it available on this Windows contraption is a priority.

A preview version of the browser is already up for grabs, but according to the first user reviews, the build is rather buggy and slow as compared not only with the other browsers on the market, but also with previous Internet Explorer releases.

Microsoft has promised to make the Windows 7 version deliver the same performance as the Windows 8 build, so increased browsing speed and better performance are expected to be provided by the final release.