14 DAY TRIAL // Windows 8 Release Preview, the latest pre-release flavor of Microsoft’s next-gen operating system, has landed with various improvements inside, including a new flavor of Internet Explorer 10.
This is the sixth IE10 release in Windows 8, and it comes with a series of touch optimizations for all those who are using the platform on tablets, as well as with an updated IE10 engine to deliver better web browsing than before.
The sixth Platform Preview of IE10 comes with better performance capabilities, as well as with support for touch-first HTML5, and with integrated Adobe Flash Player.
In addition to offering support for more content on its Metro version, IE10 in Windows 8 Release Preview also comes with Do Not Track features, so that users would benefit from increased protection of their privacy.
The HTML5 browsing engine included in Windows 8 powers both the Metro-style and the desktop flavors of the browser, and it is also being used by Metro style applications that need HTML5 and JavaScript.
The browser's performance was also enhanced, the same as the performance of the Chakra JavaScript engine and the support for standards.
The sixth Platform Preview of IE10 comes with a power-optimized, touch-friendly Adobe Flash Player, which enables users to view compatible content on the Metro style version of the browser.
The support for Flash was added so that users would be able to access more Web content through their devices and to offer a better experience to both consumers and businesses alike.
“Because some popular Web sites require Adobe Flash and do not offer HTML5 alternatives, Adobe and Microsoft worked together closely to deliver a Flash Player suitable for the Metro style experience,” Dean Hachamovitch, corporate vice president, Internet Explorer, explains.
Being integrated into IE10, Adobe’s Flash Player will work on both Metro and desktop flavors of the browser, without requiring any additional downloads.
What should be mentioned, however, is that not all websites will be able to play Flash content in the Metro version of IE10. Only those included in Microsoft’s Compatibility View (CV) list (available on this page) can.
The Player also comes with support for touch gestures in IE10, including double tap and pinch to zoom, the same as HTML5 does.
“Adobe and Microsoft worked together to disable the desktop Flash functionality that is incompatible with touch, such as rollovers, within the Metro style experience. Much of Flash’s other functionality works well with touch,” Dean Hachamovitch continues.
Microsoft also focused on offering improved battery life while using Flash, and also focused on addressing some security and reliability issues with the plug-in. Any updates to the environment will be delivered through Windows Update.
The same Flash Player support for the Metro version of IE10 will be available both on x86/64 architectures, and on Windows RT PCs (Windows running on ARM processors).
Another major enhancement included in Windows 8 Release Preview’s IE10 is Do Not Track, which has been turned on by default. The feature was implemented to offer better privacy protection to all users, yet they will be able to change that if they want to.
Additionally, Microsoft notes that IE10 now offers support for all non-vendor prefixed versions of standards that received Candidate Recommendation (CR) status since the Consumer Preview flavor of the platform.
Download Windows 8 Release Preview Build 8400