Note - be aware that Internet Explorer 7 now shows up as a 'Security Update' when using the 'Express' option in Windows (or Microsoft) update, so for those who don't want to install it, you will want to look through any files at 'Windows Update'. This does not mean it currently downloads automatically, but it does show when manually using the 'Express' option.

Hint - for those who have Windows Update' set to download and inform before installing, selecting the 'Custom' option after clicking the yellow update shield in the notification tray will give you the file list - which you can then pick and choose to install from. This will prevent any possibility of installing IE7 by mistake (just in case it downloads automatically on you).

I'm insanely pleased with IE7 thus far. Finally I need not test, retest, add IE fixes, tweak said fixes and add a multitude of other browser incompatibility issue fixes when designing/testing web sites. Thus far, all sites I have made/are making render the same in IE7 *as well as* Firefox. Fin-freekin'-ally. With the newest Opera, Firefox *and* IE7 all supporting the CSS alpha effect alone, I'm pleased as punch. Finally, 3 browsers behaving like one. About time. Web developers worldwide can take a massive sigh of relief and those developers who do not have IE7 can step away from the bridge railing; there's no need to jump, anymore. No more banging my head repeatedly into the desk to make sites work in all 3 browsers (I won't get into MAC ie or Safari, yet ).

* Footnote: Actually, it'd be even more beneficial for web developers as well as the user if everyone would at least consider keeping atop their respective browser upgrades/releases. Even though, essentially, Opera, FF and IE7 render sites seamlessly, I still have to make sure I add a plethora of bugfixes and CSS fixes to acommodate IE5.5, IE6 as well as other browsers. Eek! I imagine a utopian world where one world uses one browser. Won't happen, obviously.

Posting this from laptop. Runs just fine, and starting to get the hang of the new features.
cFX, great post! Good ideas from a professional's viewpoint.

Yes, thank you CFX...lots of good info in that!

Improvement with tabs, but yet far slower than Firefox... ...and not skinnable ...

but yet far slower than Firefox

I've not noticed this at all.

IE7 is certainly a step ahead. The biggest drawback for me is lack of mouse gestures. I have really become used to those with FF, Maxthon, and Opera. I downloaded an add on for IE7 that adds mouse gestures, but they are very slow and unresponsive compared to the other browsers.

I was using Firefox 1.5 as my main browser and IE6 as a backup. I can finally go back to IE (version 7 of course) as my browser of choice. It now has tabbed browsing, seems fairly quick in rendering pages, starts up quickly, etc. I've uninstalled Firefox and am enjoying getting to know the shortcuts, settings, etc. in IE7.

but yet far slower than Firefox

Actually, FF2 renders pages quite a bit slower than IE7...at least on my machine. It is almost instantaneous with IE7, whereas FF loads the page, and image placeholders, but only renders the graphics one item at a time.

I have IE7-Final, FF2, and Opera 9.02...I use all three, but IE7 is my primary browser.

I was a steadfast ff fan for the last 6-8 months now until ff2 came out. It's been a constant memory leaker and not at all the performer that IE7 is. Today, I bid ff a fond farewell and will now stay with IE7.

I'm staying away from IE7. Tried it and found FF to be better. Thanks but no thanks.

Tried it and found FF to be better.

Any specific reasons? I ask because so far I see the gap closing between FF and IE. In terms of how it renders pages (which is uppermost, since it's the developers that bring you all the web you have all come to adore), in terms of overall page loading speed[s] as well as comparable MEM usage, with IE7 actually using less, as Phoon pointed out. So it's not currently skinnable, but does this actually make or break a browser?

In terms of how IE handles CSS, I prefer it in most ways to FF, even. When I say IE, I mean IE7, of course. Things like padding and so forth just make more sense in IE7. Then again, perhaps I am just thankful as a developer that two major browsers are finally about comparable (Opera, too). This saves me (heaps of) time, ya see?

I guess I just prefer neither over the other and as mentioned earlier, I almost wish there was just one browser. Red wine or red? Black or white? Subway to Sally or Eisbrecher? Mike Portnoy or Mike Mangini? Eh..

Must admit I am not at least enchanted with IE7 especially the look. I tried it for several weeks and found the interface very 'cheap' looking and not that great to use. The guys at Microsoft really should and could have done better than this. Firefox 2 has a more pleasing look to the eye and I have been using it now for a while and is impressive. Sorry Microsoft......I am a big fan of your gear but when it comes to looks you need to hire several of the guys from Wincustomize and then we'll see something that not only does the job......BUT LOOKS THE PART TOO.

CausticFX - Firefox handles my bookmarks and passwords better than IE7. I really don't care for the extra clicks I have to perform to find a certain bookmark in IE7. I really don't care about CSS or how IE7 skins due to the fact that I have no idea what CSS is and don't use it and i no longer skin my computer as i dable in Linux most of the time although with the new Dell I'm sticking to XP for a bit. Firefox with the fasterfox plugin seems to speed past IE7 in speed with web page rendering time. Even from a cold start FF owns IE7.

There you have it I guess.

due to the fact that I have no idea what CSS is and don't use it

LOL Um, just because you don't know what it is doesn't mean you don't use it. Tons of webpages you probably visit regularly use it.

There you have it I guess.

There you have what? A good thing to remember is this: Just because your system performs a certain way does NOT mean it is a fact of life for everyone.