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DEATHMATCH
ROUND 2
ADD-ON SUPPORT
IE8 is the only contender here with new browser-specifi c features, including a side-by-side
translator, bookmarkable Web Slices (which behave like subscribable feeds), and the Accel-
erator feature—a right-click menu that offers context-sensitive access to third-party appli-
cations (like blogging or maps) based on the word or phrase you have highlighted on a page.
Chrome, at least in this beta, is unable to support any third-party add-ons, although we’ve
heard rumblings about the possibility of incorporating Firefox 3-style plugins in the future.
WINNER: INTERNET EXPLORER 8INTERNET EXPLORER 8
Free, http://www.microsoft.comROUND 1
SECURITY
IE8 has InPrivate blocking, a tool
that references an online record
of which content providers collect
private information and will block
those providers if they attempt to
continue collecting information af-
ter you’ve gone offsite. Users can
also customize which content to
block or allow. Another welcome
IE8 feature is the SmartScreen
fi lter, which warns users of
potential phishing sites and mali-
cious cross-site scripts. Google
has yet to develop a phishing fi lter
for Chrome, but the browser’s
Sandboxing feature prevents
malware from installing itself on
your system or reading fi les from
sensitive areas like My Documents
and the desktop.
WINNER: INTERNET EXPLORER 8QUICKSTART
THE BEGINNING OF THE MAGAZINE, WHERE ARTICLES ARE SMALLChrome Beta vs. Internet
Explorer 8 Beta
I
n early September, Google judo tossed the Internet com-
munity with the announcement of Chrome, the company’s
contribution to the browser wars. The minimalist browser was
built using WebKit, the open-source rendering engine that
fuels Safari and several other OS X applications (surprisingly,
Chrome has yet to be released for OS X or Linux). As luck would
have it, the timing of Chrome’s beta release coincided with
the launch of Internet Explorer 8’s own public beta, the latestrevamp of Microsoft’s market-share-dominating browser.
We couldn’t turn down the opportunity to pit these two
beta browsers against each other, since both tout new privacy
features, fast loading times, and advanced browsing aids. It’s
the fresh-faced browser from an industry darling versus the sig-
nificantly overhauled browser from a wily veteran. Which one
deserves to be your default Internet gateway? –F L O R E N C E I O N