Internet Explorer Update

Microsoft has officially released the 7.0 version of Internet Explorer. As reported earlier on this blog, the beta version did not fully implement Unicode, so that some characters used in languages such as dxʷlešúcid (Lushootseed) are not displayed correctly. Although I reported this to Microsoft, the problem has not been addressed. (I have reported the problem again.) It appears to be a fault of the font that Explorer uses, so it’s possible that a work-around might be available.

What is ironic about this is that dxʷlešúcid is the language home to Redmond, the headquarters of Microsoft.

Both Firefox and Netscape display dxʷlešúcid correctly, though the glottal stop is easier to read with the Firefox browser.

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Microsoft has Quechua but Still Lacks Some Unicode

The Associated Press announced the Bolivian launch of Quechuan software by Microsoft today. The article notes that the word used for file is “quipu,” “borrowing the name of an ancient Incan practice of recording information in an intricate system of knotted strings.” Both Microsoft Windows and Office offer Quechua. Other languages supported include several varieties of Sami as well as Welsh, Māori and Xhosa.

Microsoft also released its nearly completed version of Internet Explorer 7, named Release Candidate 1. Unfortunately, it still doesn’t fully implement Unicode as can be seen by trying to read the June posts of this blog.

Netscape

I downloaded Netscape and found it displays all the Unicode, at least on this blog site, correctly.

It also includes RSS features, like the beta IE, though I have not tried them out yet.

IE and Office

Microsoft has released a beta (test) version of its next update to its browser, Internet Explorer, in conjunction with the upcoming release of Vista, the next Windows version. The current version of IE is 6; the beta is IE 7 and is now in its third release. Although it is better at displaying Unicode than version 6, it still cannot correctly display all the blog entries in Living Languages in June 2006. (Click here to download.)

I have submitted an error report, so hopefully Microsoft will add complete Unicode compatibility.