The Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) 9 Platform Preview is an early look at how HTML5, CSS3, and a new JavaScript engine, codenamed Chakra, will affect how we build websites in the near future. The IE9 Platform Preview is not a full web browser and is intended for developers to test and debug their work within this new technology. It does not include an address bar, a back button, anti-phishing or malware protection, but has the ability to render HTML5, CSS3, and run the Chakra JavaScript engine. The IE9 Platform Preview can be downloaded at http://ie.microsoft.com/testdrive/info/ThankYou/Default.html. Microsoft intends to release a new version of Internet Explorer Platform Preview approximately every 8 weeks.
It is important to note that when IE9 comes out in the not so distance future that Microsoft will likely have to issue a service pack for SharePoint 2010. Although HTML5 is said to be defined in a way that it is backwards compatible with the way user agents handle deployed content, I noticed through my limited testing that some SharePoint 2010 features did not always render correctly.
For more information about the Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) 9 Platform Preview visit Internet Explorer 9: Platform Demos, IE Blog, Windows Internet Explorer Testing Center, IE9 Platform Preview FAQ, Internet Explorer 9 Platform Preview User Guide, Release Notes, and Internet Explorer Platform Preview Guide for Developers. For information about HTML5 visit my post at http://www.the14folder.com/2010/04/07/html-5/.
