Mix06, new IE7 build

Mix06 started today. It's an IT/tech conference, hosted by Microsoft and a load of other influencial sponsors, from Via (chip maker) to O'Reilly (publishing company, among other things). It's billed as a chance for developers and business people to meet up and talk about the future of the internet. Microsoft has been pushing it hard, describing the reasons for going as:

Be the first to get the latest preview build of IE7

Work with the members of the Internet Explorer team in the Compatibility Lab to get your site ready for IE7

Test drive "Atlas," Microsoft's powerful new framework for building cross–browser, cross–platform AJAX applications

Explore Windows Live!, Microsoft's new consumer services strategy

Learn how to deliver revolutionary, media–rich Web content with the new Windows Presentation Foundation

Find out how to extend your content, media and services into the living room with Windows Media Center and Xbox 360™

More than 50 separate sessions and discussions for Web developers, designers and business professionals

They are using it to show to the world how serious they are about web services, that is applications delivered dynamically over the internet as opposed to conventional applications stored on a user's computer. To that end they've been showing everyone 'Atlas', their AJAX developing system. Bill Gates gave a keynote earlier today extolling the virtues of Microsoft's new approach to the internet, as well as the usual chatter about forthcoming releases.

If you're particularly interested in more of the happenings at MIX06, there's a load of stuff on Microsoft's Channel9 website here and some Flickr photos here.

You also don't have to be at MIX to get the new build of IE7, and it is downloadable here. It isn't really a major release, just a few bugfixes (such as the inability to use Blogger) which had been irritating users. When I first installed it it was incredibly unstable, lasting on average about 30 seconds before crashing, but it seems to be better now, and so probably is worth downloading. More information at the IE7 blog.