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 Microsoft recently announced that
they will be releasing a new browser version sometime this
summer. The new browser version was to be released with
Longhorn, the code name for their next operating system to
replace Windows XP, but they decided that they needed to
release it sooner than that.
Many think the reason is because Firefox, the new popular
browser, has introduced some key features that many
surfers have come to expect. This probably has put
pressure on Microsoft to respond with a browser with the
same specs.
One of these key features is tabbed browsing, which allows
you to browse to multiple sites using just one window with
tabs rather than opening a new window for each page.
But tabbed browsing isn't all...
I am really excited about the possibility of a new feature
that could change the way web-surfers get their content!
Although there has been no formal announcement about this,
there has been a lot of speculation about the new browser
including a built-in RSS reader.
An RSS what???
Let me explain...
RSS has taken off like a rocket. Blog sites love it, and
every major website out there now supports it including
CNN, ESPN, Yahoo, Google, and MSN.
RSS is nothing more than a format for delivering article
headlines that can be read and neatly displayed by RSS
readers, much like an email program displays email
messages.
But so far the popularity of RSS has been confined mainly
to blog sites and tech-savvy individuals who know how to
"tune in" to an RSS Feed. Though it is spreading
like wildfire, many average web users have no idea what
RSS is! (I've confirmed that by recently asking several of
my friends, and none of them had ever heard of it!)
This is all about to change!
Microsoft has very good reason to include an RSS reader
with their new IE version. If they don't, surfers may have
reason to switch to another that does. Firefox already
includes an RSS reader.
If they DO include an RSS reader, think of the
implications:
*You could browse to a webpage and IE could
"discover" any RSS links on the page and notify
you of them
*You may be able to Right-Click on an RSS Feed and have an
option to "Add to RSS Reader", which would
instantly subscribe you to the Feed.
*Web developers may be able to write web pages that allow
visitors to automatically subscribe to a feed by clicking
a button or submitting a form.
Remember, Firefox already has all these features, but the
vast majority still uses IE!
Once visitors learn how RSS works and figure out how easy
and convenient it is, RSS will become the expected format.
Soon you will be FORCED to offer RSS content because
consumers will not want to hand out their email address
anymore!
The time will come...will you be ready to deliver?
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