But this browser is far from perfect. Its use of tabs, for example, needs to be improved. In addition, Microsoft needs to change the way add-ons are created, so that it can foster a wider community of add-on writers as a way of building a thriving ecosystem of add-ons.

And Microsoft has to change its attitude toward the power user. Henry Ford famously said that his customers could buy a Model T "in any color, so long as it's black." Microsoft seems to have that same attitude in this version of Internet Explorer.

Microsoft officials say that the next version of Internet Explorer will be focused more on the power user. While they won't guarantee any specific features, they say it will offer more customization overall, and hope to allow for toolbar customization, the addition of themes and skins, and similar features. In fact, they say, they wanted to include those features in IE7, but simply ran out of time.

All in all, even if you're a power user, it's worth your while to upgrade to this browser for its increased security and considerable new features. Let's just hope that the next time around, you can deck out your browser in mauve polka dots if you want.