IE 7 Is ‘Layout Complete’

Microsoft’s next-generation browser, Internet Explorer 7 (IE7), is rounding the corner and getting the “spit and polish” it needs as it heads into the stretch run of its final release.

According to one Microsoft developer, IE 7 is now actually considered to be “layout complete.”

In an online chat hosted by Microsoft’s IE development team, users of the IE7 Beta lobbed a long list of questions on a variety of topics at Microsoft developers.

Chat participants asked about minor bug issues and feature requests, and they even had a few usability gripes.

In general, though, the tone was very cordial and in contrast to the way users behaved in Microsoft’s online chats in previous years before the IE7 Beta was available.

IE 7 Beta 2 has been publicly available since January, while the first Beta was released last summer.

One of the things that the online chat revealed was just how complete work on IE7 actually is.

“IE 7 is now Layout complete,” said Peter Gurevich, IE program manager. “We are continuing to work on any rendering issues that we come across.”

The chat’s moderator, IE Program Manager Dave Massey, responded directly to user questions about the final work going into IE7.

“Fixing bugs and spit and polish. Pretty standard for any software project as we get through the beta phase,” Massey said.

“We have work to do to get the product to a quality level for full release. Please keep sending feedback so that we can prioritize that work.”

One of the issues that was asked about but not specifically responded to was the impact that the Eolas settlement has had on IE7 and IE in general.

This article was first published on InternetNews.com. To read the full article, click here.