Microsoft Corporation released a near-final version of its Internet Explorer 7 (IE7) browser on Thursday, and the company said the free web-surfing software is on track for completion by the end of the year. The near-final browser contains all the features Microsoft hopes to include in the final product its first major update for the program in years. The current release is aimed at industry professionals and technology experts who may help the world's largest software company see last-minute problems. IE7 will be available for download by people using Windows XP, and it will be included in the forthcoming version of Windows, called Vista. After several delays, Vista is currently scheduled to be available for business users in November and for consumers in January.
