Microsoft: Millions download freshly-launched Internet Explorer 9

Millions of people have downloaded Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) since Microsoft released the test version of its next-generation Web browser a week ago.

"The initial reaction has been pretty overwhelming, and we are very humbled by the response our customers have had," Roger Capriotti of the Windows team at Microsoft said in a blog post.

More than two million people around the world downloaded the beta IE9 during the two days following its release on September 15, according to Capriotti.

Microsoft's lean, muscular new Internet Explorer browser was crafted to spotlight slick websites and beat back competition from Firefox and Google in the Web browser arena.

IE9 taps into more of the processing power in computers, especially the capabilities of graphics chips that excel at seamlessly rendering videos or videogame action.

A typical beta period for stable browser software would be three months, but Microsoft might wait until after the year-end holiday season to make a final version of IE9 available worldwide.

Microsoft doesn't charge separately for IE and the browser is included with Windows software.

(c) 2010 AFP