CNET reports the software maker has scheduled an event in San Francisco to mark the arrival of the beta, describing the event as highlighting “the beauty of the Web.”
According the report, Microsoft is counting on IE9 to get the company back into technical competition with Chrome, Firefox and Safari.
The beta needs either Windows Vista or Windows 7 and will also require users to swap out their current installation of Internet Explorer.
Some of the key features include its support for HTML5, an improved JavaScript engine and the ability to tap a computer’s graphics chip to accelerate text and image rendering.
The company said the goal of the browser isn’t to block the view.
"The browser is the theater," Gavin said. "We're not the play."
He said Microsoft hopes the beta will by widely adopted.
"The beta is not for everyone, clearly," he said. "But if you are comfortable downloading and installing software, I know I am going to want you to try IE9."
