Fred Pullen, Senior Product Marketing Manager, Windows Internet Explorer, Microsoft
Windows 8 includes Internet Explorer 10, which offers two browser experiences: Internet Explorer, the touch-optimized, Metro-style experience, and Internet Explorer for the Desktop, a web browsing experience which is similar in appearance to Internet Explorer 9. As most of us still have non-touch devices, this month's article will focus on tips and tricks for using the Metro-style Internet Explorer with a keyboard and mouse.
The navigation bar used in Internet Explorer looks different than it did in Internet Explorer 9 and earlier. The Metro style navigation bar shows badges and coloring for websites, and includes controls for common operations like back, forward, stop/refresh, and pinning a site to the Start screen. These disappear when not used, turning web browsing into a fast, fluid, app-like experience.
If you have a touch device, you can use the same touch gestures as you do with Windows 8, including double-tapping the screen to zoom in/out and swiping to move forward/back. You can also access all controls by using a keyboard and mouse, but some handy tips make this easier.
Tip #1: Right click. Internet Explorer minimizes unnecessary chrome, meaning that navigation bars disappear when not used. This can be confusing until you remember to right-click, which shows the navigation menu and open tabs.
Tip #2: Use charms. Charms provide a consistent way to perform common actions, such as search and share, across Windows 8 applications. In Internet Explorer 10, the web is seamlessly integrated with Windows 8, giving you end-to-end speed for tasks like sharing a link. Move your mouse to the upper-right or lower-right corner of your screen to reveal charms, or press the Windows logo key+C.
Tip #3: Use navigation tiles. Internet Explorer displays navigation tiles for frequently-visited sites and for sites that you have pinned to the Start screen. Web sites are pinned alongside apps with "live" updates; with Internet Explorer 10, sites can provide background notifications to display new messages and other account activity without needing to open the site. To pin a site, just click on the pin in the navigation menu.
Tip #4: Snap. Snap in Windows 8 enables you to use your device for more than one action or application at a time. In Internet Explorer 10, the default full-size window automatically adapts to the more narrow "snap" size to align with the second application. The Internet Explorer 10 window also automatically undocks from its snapped location when necessary for user interaction. All of the core browsing capabilities are still available when a browser window is snapped. To use snap:
Windows 8 includes Internet Explorer 10, which offers two browser experiences: Internet Explorer, the touch-optimized, Metro-style experience, and Internet Explorer for the Desktop, a web browsing experience which is similar in appearance to Internet Explorer 9. As most of us still have non-touch devices, this month's article will focus on tips and tricks for using the Metro-style Internet Explorer with a keyboard and mouse.
The navigation bar used in Internet Explorer looks different than it did in Internet Explorer 9 and earlier. The Metro style navigation bar shows badges and coloring for websites, and includes controls for common operations like back, forward, stop/refresh, and pinning a site to the Start screen. These disappear when not used, turning web browsing into a fast, fluid, app-like experience.
If you have a touch device, you can use the same touch gestures as you do with Windows 8, including double-tapping the screen to zoom in/out and swiping to move forward/back. You can also access all controls by using a keyboard and mouse, but some handy tips make this easier.
Tip #1: Right click. Internet Explorer minimizes unnecessary chrome, meaning that navigation bars disappear when not used. This can be confusing until you remember to right-click, which shows the navigation menu and open tabs.
Tip #2: Use charms. Charms provide a consistent way to perform common actions, such as search and share, across Windows 8 applications. In Internet Explorer 10, the web is seamlessly integrated with Windows 8, giving you end-to-end speed for tasks like sharing a link. Move your mouse to the upper-right or lower-right corner of your screen to reveal charms, or press the Windows logo key+C.
Tip #3: Use navigation tiles. Internet Explorer displays navigation tiles for frequently-visited sites and for sites that you have pinned to the Start screen. Web sites are pinned alongside apps with "live" updates; with Internet Explorer 10, sites can provide background notifications to display new messages and other account activity without needing to open the site. To pin a site, just click on the pin in the navigation menu.
Tip #4: Snap. Snap in Windows 8 enables you to use your device for more than one action or application at a time. In Internet Explorer 10, the default full-size window automatically adapts to the more narrow "snap" size to align with the second application. The Internet Explorer 10 window also automatically undocks from its snapped location when necessary for user interaction. All of the core browsing capabilities are still available when a browser window is snapped. To use snap:
- When viewing a webpage in Internet Explorer 10, move the mouse pointer to the very top of the screen until it changes from an arrow to a hand.
- Left-click and drag the border of the window left or right until a second pane displays.
- Release the mouse. The browser window automatically snaps into the second pane. You can use another application from the Start screen in the larger pane.
Internet Explorer 10 is optimized for touch, but makes surfing the web easier and faster even with a traditional keyboard and mouse. Two final suggestions. If you can't start the Metro experience, it's probably because Internet Explorer is not your default web browser; change this in the "Default Programs" control panel. Finally, if necessary, you can set Internet Explorer for the Desktop as your default browser in "Internet Options." This will give you a more traditional browsing experience.
Next month, I'll delve more into Internet Explorer's business-friendly nature, including standards-driven design, manageability, and security. In the meantime, keep surfing responsibly!
Fred Pullen is a Senior Product Marketing Manager for Internet Explorer. Fred joined Microsoft in 2003 as a TechNet and TS2 presenter, and most recently was a product planner for Windows Phone. He's been checking email daily since 1983, but swears he can quit any time.
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