Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) beta is out (well, it has been for a while). Is it another failed version of Internet Explorer? Will this IE8-to-IE9 be the same “wtf has changed?” feeling as the IE7-to-IE8 transition? Apparently, no.

For once, Microsoft has listened to the complaints about the failing browser. Good timing, too, since Firefox usage actually overtook IE usage in a lot of the “hip” sites almost a year ago, like Twitter and Facebook. And in my own website traffic, Firefox usage has been the majority since a year and a half ago. Seems like Microsoft has been getting complacent about their browser until that moment.

What has changed? A lot. The most noticeable change is the interface. It has adopted a minimalistic look to show more content and less menus and toolbars. In fact, they got rid of the traditional menus and toolbars altogether to achieve this. If you’re used to Google Chrome, using IE9 will have that same feel. Otherwise, you might feel a bit lost at first.

Speed, as the number one complaint in the previous versions, has improved by tons. In some aspects, IE9 is actually faster than Firefox 3(.6.9)! That’s quite the improvement from the previous versions.

Not to go too deep in analyzing IE9, as I haven’t actually tested it firsthand because I don’t have a Vista or Win7 box yet and IE9 only runs on Vista and Win7 (but I’ll try to find the time to install it in a Win7 box soon). I’ll leave you a surprising general conclusion other reviewers said: Not only is IE9 usable, but it’s actually a pleasure to use. Let’s chew on that for a while.