Even though not many websites cover Internet Explorer extensively and write interesting articles and tutorials about it, this browser still manages to hold the title of the most used browser. One of the reasons for it is that it provides some interesting functionality that other browsers don't have or have not fully adopted. Here is a list of 5 great features Internet Explorer has and other browser do not, which I would love to see being adopted by everybody.

Visual Search Providers

One of the features I love most in Internet Explorer is the ability to install and use visual search provides. They allow you not only to see suggestions for your searches but they are also accompanied by a visual preview that includes a picture and some text description.

Very useful and looks great. Unfortunately, though, this feature is not used by many search providers and I would like to see more of it both in Internet Explorer and other browsers.

Stats about the Performance Impact of Add-ons

As highlighted in the article Internet Explorer 9 - How to Improve the Load & Navigation Speed, the browser monitors the performance impact of all add-ons and encourages users to disable those that slow things down.

I wish more browsers would have a similar behavior and share in a transparent way how much each add-on contributes to slowing the browsing experience.

Improved Security

If you follow the tech news on a regular basis, you definitely learned about Internet Explorer being declared the most secure browser or, at least an important contender to the title. The last debate, found here: Browser Study Sheds Light On Firefox's Insecurity (And Google Approves This Message), considers Google Chrome and Internet Explorer as being the top two contenders for the title.

Leaving this debate aside, during the tests we made for the Security for Everyone series, we noticed that Internet Explorer definitely provides better identification and reporting of malicious websites and downloads, when compared to other browsers and even some security suites. Another great feature is that Internet Explorer allows users to easily report malicious websites, directly from the main interface of the browser, thus helping increase security for all users.

We wish to see more improvements in this area from all major browsers, including Internet Explorer.

If you want to learn more about the SmartScreen Filter technology used in Internet Explorer, read this article: What is the SmartScreen Filter & How Does it Work?.

Power Saving Features

You might not be aware of this, but Internet Explorer allows you to squeeze a bit more juice from your battery, when running unplugged. You get less hardware acceleration while browsing, without making things terribly slow and a bit more battery time.

Here is how it works: Save Battery Power While Browsing the Web in Internet Explorer 9.

Pinning Websites to the Windows Taskbar or the Start Menu

This feature is not new and it has been adopted by some browsers, such as Google Chrome. However, I consider it useful and I think all browsers should offer such capabilities to their users.

If you would like to know more about how pinning works, read this tutorial: The Complete Guide to Pinning Websites with Internet Explorer.

Conclusion

Even though you might not be using Internet Explorer as your main browser, I am sure you agree with the usefulness of the features mentioned in this article. Before you close this page, I would like you to share your view: Are there any other Internet Explorer features you would like to see adopted in other browsers? What about things Internet Explorer should improve in future versions? Are there any features you would like to be adopted from other browsers?