Microsoft's new IE9 triggers speed-test squabble

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Microsoft has released a seventh test version of Internet Explorer 9 the company says is better at "real-world" Web-based JavaScript programs. But with it has come a rival's accusation that Microsoft essentially engaged in the storied computer industry practice of benchmark engineering--designing technology to be fast on an artificial speed test instead.
The seventh IE9 platform preview comes with new improvements to its Chakra JavaScript engine. And Microsoft asserted Chakra is is engineered to do better on actual Web site tasks rather than narrow benchmarks.:D


Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-30685_3-20023269-264.html#ixzz15f7i661J
 
We're going to see more of this as we get closer to the IE9 launch. When the IE team blogged about being the only browser to offer "full hardware acceleration" certain members of the Mozilla team came out all guns blazing, so something like this was always going to be seized upon.

People are watching IE9 like a hawk because it's closed the gap on the other browsers. The problem is it's still a bit fuzzy as to whether MS have actually 'cheated' or not in this instance. It doesn't really make sense to risk this kind of negative press just to improve a benchmark score so for me it sounds like an oversight and some overzealous finger pointing.
 
It's just that IE has always been the "bottom rung" browser, and nobody at Mozilla/Opera/Google etc. wants to replace it.
 
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