Microsoft's Internet Explorer 8 is expected to occupy a large chunk of the browser pie when it launches as part of the upcoming Windows 7 operating system.
The release will no doubt be accompanied by non-too-pleasant cursing from the numerous web developers who've struggled to debug code for different versions of IE, but it seems Microsoft has heard those cries and is responding with a software solution dubbed Expression Web SuperPreview.
Despite the typically-dull name, here's a logical application that's likely to bring just a glimmer of a smile to an increasingly anti-IE audience. So, what does it do? Put simply, Expression Web SuperPreview shows a developer's web pages rendered side-by-side for IE6 and either IE7 or IE8. By doing so, developers can ensure their code renders correctly in both browser versions - and there's a cool overlay display method, too.
In addition to the multi-browser rendering, the software will also provide standard debugging tools such as CSS and DOM inspection.
Considering that Windows makes it near-impossible to run multiple versions of IE simultaneously, Expression Web SuperPreview might prove to be a very useful tool. Looking further ahead, future builds of the software are believed to provide rendered snapshots of any installed browser - including the likes of Apple's Safari and Mozilla's Firefox.
One to watch, we reckon, and an early beta release can be downloaded here.
