Microsoft has updated its browser, Internet Explorer Version 7 (IE7). The IE Blog posts this advice :

“Almost a year ago, we released Internet Explorer 7 for Windows XP. Since then, IE7 is well on its way to becoming the most used browser in the world, and we’ve seen lots of evidence that IE7 makes it safer and easier to accomplish everyday tasks online. For example, the built-in Phishing Filter has protected consumers from known phishing web sites an average of 900,000 times per week. IE7 is the first – and still the only – browser with native support for Extended Validation SSL Certificates that help prevent online fraud. (Of course, tabbed browsing, QuickTabs, shrink-to-fit printing, an easily customizable search box, CSS improvements, and some add-ons are all good things too.)”

How to get it : “If you are not already running IE7, you can get it now from the Internet Explorer home page on Microsoft.com, get a customized version from a third-party site, or, if you haven’t already received it via Automatic Updates, this version will be delivered to you as we described previously. If you are already running IE7, you will not be offered IE7 again by Automatic Updates.”

Some changes have been made for XP users :

* The menu bar is now visible by default.
* The Internet Explorer 7 online tour has updated how-to’s. Also, the “first- run” experience includes a new overview.
* We’ve included a new MSI installer that simplifies deployment for IT administrators in enterprises.

Microsoft’s website is announcing a launch press conference by CEO Steve Ballmer to ease Windows Vista into the world. It will be celebrated, they say, by Ballmer ringing the Nasdaq bell to open the exchange today — 20 minutes away as I write.

The website says :

NEW YORK CITY — Nov. 29, 2006 —

• What: Microsoft Corp. will host a news conference and live webcast to announce the availability of the Windows Vista™ operating system, the 2007 Microsoft® Office system and Exchange Server 2007 for business customers with volume license agreements. Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer will celebrate this historic product launch, which coincides with Microsoft’s 20th year as a publicly traded company, by ringing the bell to open the NASDAQ market.

• Who: Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft, Chris Liddell, CFO of Microsoft, and executives from Microsoft customer and industry partner companies

• Where: NASDAQ MarketSite event at Times Square in New York, 43rd St. and Broadway; a live webcast of the news conference will be available.

• When: The news conference and webcast will begin at 10:35 a.m. EST (7:35 a.m. PST) on Thursday, Nov. 30.

Go Vista!

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Why on earth would anyone want to run Vista Office with only 128 MBs of RAM ? George Ou at ZDnet says that Web-based word processors like ThinkFree Office makes computers slow down as it hogs memory resources like a worm. Well, I think web based softwares using Ajax is something that will stay for awhile as most companies are trying hard to make sure staff don’t simply install illegal software on their PCs.

The moral of the story : Get more RAM. Its cheaper than gold now and 1GB seems so passe.

Google’s newly acquired Writely should hardly be considered a replacement for Microsoft Office, Word Perfect, OpenOffice.org Write, or any other rich client. The only Web-based word processor or Office Suite that comes close to something like Microsoft Office is ThinkFree Office which is written in Java. But ThinkFree Office makes resource-hogging OpenOffice.org look good by comparison. Just the word processor alone with no data loaded eats up 100 MBs of RAM. Loading up the spread sheet and presentation software will cost you another 200 MBs of RAM. Oh and if you actually want some data with that, you better prepare a Gigabyte of RAM. Vista on the other hand will run on a computer with 128 MBs of RAM (without any Aero Glass eye candy).

Truth is: Web Office takes more resources than Vista source