The browser's opening screen, interestingly, will not default to MSN but to an IE9 advice page, explaining different bits of functionality. New tabs will open with the most visited websites.

This page, in particular, could do with a little attention during the beta trials. Although you can delete options, you cannot pin them, and you are limited to as many pages as Microsoft deems necessary rather than being able to change this.

Being able to manipulate your tabs and pull them out of your browser is increasingly important, and IE9 brings 'tear off tabs' and Windows Aero Snap tabs.

The former allows you to simply drag a tab out of a browser window – where it will become a new window, and the Aero Snap replicates the well-received Windows 7 functionality that snaps each window to a half desktop.

The favourites and options bars are still present, but much smaller unobtrusive icons; Microsoft's extensive research suggested that the majority of users simply do not use favourites lists.

But for those who wend our way through reams of sites in any given day, at least the option has been marginalised rather than face expulsion from the browser.

Pinning its hopes

Getting to your favourite pages in IE9 is much easier through the 'one box' or, crucially, by pinning your key sites to your Windows taskbar.

This latter option is a major new enhancement. Windows 7 users will have come to appreciate both thumbnail preview and jump lists, and dragging an IE9 page to the start bar can bring up an impressive range of options, including customised jump lists and even play and pause buttons, especially if the site is coded for it.

Note the last part of that sentence. Microsoft has repeated time and time again that interoperability is key for IE going forward, and for the extra enhancements to be realised, there will need to be some minor developments for sites to take advantage.

There are 70 launch partners that have optimised their sites for IE9 – including CNN , Amazon and Discovery – and Microsoft seems very excited about what can be done with the new functionality.

Hardware support

Some of that ties in with one of the key changes – the beginnings of using hardware support for the browser. Essentially this means tapping into the power of your graphics processor to bring more functionality to the browser.

The tech demos that have been floating around for the last 6 months illustrate this best; IE9 is keen to show that the browser is no longer any different from any other application and should be as functional and as capable of utilising the PC as well.

Other matters of note include a new download manager, which mixes old and new by bringing Microsoft's already well established protocols and also a new security technique that will look at the popularity of a download and give a (relatively unobtrusive) warning if there is enhanced risk, but leave you be if there is not.

This is a sensible move, with Microsoft aware that people not only find constant check boxes irritating but also that this makes them less effective as people begin to automatically click through them.

The beta will not, however, launch with this new feature. Microsoft plans to use the beta to start to build its library of 'safe' files before rolling out the functionality at a later date.

Tried and trusted

Microsoft says it has used four pillars to create IE, interoperable, clean, fast and trusted, and the latter pillar is well represented with in private browsing and search suggestions that will not be reported straight back to the search provider.

Microsoft also includes tab isolation, automatic crash recovery and the new hang recovery feature, which should keep things working properly even if you hit a dodgy site or piece of code.

Last, and definitely not least, is the speed of IE9. Microsoft used up its excuse of 'real world browsing' with IE8, which clearly fell well behind its rivals in the quickness stakes – particularly with heavy (and increasingly common) javascript applications.

But IE9 is quick – really, really quick – and although it does not top the standard speed charts, its not through lack of trying and its performance is notably smarter than its slovenly predecessor. It handles difficult tasks quickly, and everyday tasks without blinking.

Microsoft is sticking massive amounts of money into IE9, aware of its importance - and from early glimpses it appears to have a winner on their hands.

Whether it can arrest the move to other browsers and keep the likes of Chrome, Safari and Firefox at bay remains to be seen, but with IE9, the Internet Explorer brand has finally been given the tools it needs to compete in what is probably the most competitive market in software right now.

Over to Google, Mozilla and Apple.