What is a browser Spartan, which sends Internet Explorer to retire

But before we proceed to describe the Spartan features, allow to speak about their everyday concerns that are directly related to the topic. So, from one year to the Redmond company was trying to make on the engine IE digestible something that could be called a modern browser. I must admit that it turned out so-so: in terms of design the latest version of the "donkey" could still to compete, then the application of the most advanced Internet technologies and the introduction of useful business functions situation was deplorable.

Personally, I'm installing another "breakthrough» IE version, first tested her for lice. And it does not require anything beyond, it was enough to open the settings window. And every time I swore. Why? The settings menu has not changed, probably the sixth version, released in ancient times - the same from generation to generation. It is impossible to watch without a nervous twitching of a century, and on the convenience of navigation is better not to stutter.

Is it a lack of attention to detail, care attitude to ergonomics or outright apathy? Take your pick. If we talk about the Spartan settings, they are pleasing to the eye and are made in the spirit of Windows 10.

This change suggests that the Spartan again developed apart from his older brother on a completely different principles. Pass!

Pretty lyrics, let's get acquainted.

Design and controls

Spartan - application for Windows, which will be pre-installed in the coming ten desktop and mobile. Hence, tiled design, complemented by a simple icon with a predominance of gray and black and white colors. This is good news means that the browser will be easily recognized in the transition from PC to smartphone and vice versa. Of course, it will be provided for synchronizing data between platforms.

Top browser control panel has five buttons. Their purpose (left to right):

• Activation of special reading mode.
• Add the current page to the Favorites list, or the future of reading.
• Calling the favorite, read the list, browsing history, and a list of downloads.
• Enabling notes mode.
• Menu reviews.

Overall Spartan looks concise and clear, and it is unlikely that it will change much to release, because simplicity is now in vogue. Although not even in this case, the Microsoft Spartan designs with a focus on content and not on the design of beauty.

Fancy chips

Not surprisingly, the Spartan is closely associated with OneNote and Cortana. Unfortunately, the voice assistant inactive for our region, however, as in most Windows 10. Microsoft promises that Cortana will ease the pop-user with additional information based on the page content, search history and preferences. Apparently, we are waiting for the likeness Google Now, but in the browser. It remains to wait for the update to appreciate the benefit of such aid.

So what remains for us? Not much, but still something there.

First of all it is necessary to look at the classroom mode of reading web pages without too much tinsel. When activated Spartan analyzes the content of the site, remove unnecessary navigation elements, cut advertising, formats text for better reading - in short, doing everything to hide from our eyes any distractions factors. Pay tribute to this mode, view really makes it easier and more enjoyable.

However, the function does not always work. For example, the main Layfhakera you do not curtail, but any article - yes. By the way, by the form the corresponding icon you will know whether you can enable read-only mode.

We turn to the not less useful function, which causes a special mode of editing sites. No, this is not the developer tools with the picking in the code, and a much more interesting possibility to create web pages of notes on themselves.

How does this happen? The contents of the window becomes the background on which you can draw markers of different colors and profiles or write annotations. Here it is also a friend of the cropping tool. Your Web notes can be stored in your browser, sent in OneNote or share the friends and colleagues. Of course, the owners of the tablet will use the stylus swing. Something similar is implemented in the downloadable extensions for Chrome and Firefox.

Combo: Web notes mode works over the reading mode.

Completing the description of useful chips, referring to the function of saving pages to PDF. A trifle, but nice.

conclusion

Spartan is not bad. He sure can be given a chance. Looks good, but the page loads correctly. The processing speed significantly exceeds that in IE 11.

On the other hand, in the course of the article, I deliberately did not mention some of the challenges Spartan. Which ones? For example, the browser a couple of times just podvisal, and I could not scroll the page. With features that could be beneficial to introduce a competitive Spartan, also came out sparsely.

But do not jump to conclusions, it is only a skeleton, which is a version 1.0 will acquire far more meat, such as support for extensions. And no wonder, because the Microsoft another chance, perhaps, no longer will. At least for me. And for you?