Bye, Bye Internet Explorer, Hello Gazelle

By | February 24, 2009 | 4 Comments

Apparently Microsoft has finally decided to look more seriously into web browser wars and develop something fresh and more secure. Result? Meet the Gazelle, a brand new web browser kernel.

According to the recent released paper (PDF), the idea behind Gazelle is to build a kernel which would act like an operating system, managing and controlling all the system resources among web site principals.

Our prototype implementation and evaluation experience indicates that it is realistic to turn an existing browser into a multi-principal OS that yields significantly stronger security and robustness with acceptable performance and backward compatibility.

…

Nevertheless, no existing browsers, including new architectures like IE 8, Google Chrome, and OP, have a multi-principal OS construction that gives a browser-based OS, typically called Browser Kernel, the exclusive control to manage the protection and fair-sharing of all system resources among browser principals.

What about compatibility?

Microsoft claims that they were able to successfully browse 19 out of 20 most popular sites from Alexa’s top list. The performance of this prototype was “acceptable”, says Research Team.

It should also be noted that the following technology is being developed by Microsoft Research and not Internet Explorer team.

[digg-reddit-me]


About (Author Profile)


Vygantas is a former web designer whose projects are used by companies such as AMD, NVIDIA and departed Westood Studios. Being passionate about software, Vygantas began his journalism carrier back in 2007 when he founded FavBrowser.com. Having said that, he is also an adrenaline junkie who enjoys good books, fitness activities and Forex trading.

  • DeclinedDoomed

    This has me genuinely interested. It’s high time that Internet Explorer was replaced, and it’d be even better if it was replaced with something GOOD. Also, I’m really interested to know how a browser acting like an operating system would affect performance, security, etc.

  • http://www.stephenprovis.com Stephen Provis

    Interesting read, I’m hoping that if MS does follow this path they do it correctly and make web browser compatability issues for webmasters a thing of the past.

  • http://www.open-tube.com opentube

    got to see Gazelle!

  • Croft

    Bye, Bye Gazelle, Hello Internet Explorer! :)

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