In fact, what's most different in this release isn't at all evident in the program. Microsoft is changing IE7's support options and will offer free telephone tech support for it beginning with beta 2. The toll-free support number is (866) 876-4926.

"The goal is to get people running this version because it adds so many important security features," Gary Schare, Microsoft's director of strategic product management for Internet Explorer, said via e-mail. "We're hoping that free support convinces a few more people to give it a try. If something doesn't work right, we'd like to be able to help them work through the issue."

Support for Internet Explorer 6 is only available to Microsoft customers who have signed up for a Software Assurance (volume) license. It costs US$35 per incident during business hours, whether you use e-mail, online chat, or telephone. The per-incident charge for what Microsoft terms "business-critical after-hours support" is $490. So Microsoft's plan to offer toll-free support for IE7 is a departure.

Free browser add-ons

Microsoft is also taking a page out of Mozilla's book by creating an Add-Ons for Internet Explorer site. Although this site wasn't yet live when I tested an advance copy of IE7 beta 2, a Microsoft spokesperson said there would be "hundreds of free add-ons," apparently similar to extensions for the Firefox and Mozilla browsers.