IE7 to Feature Customizable Search Box

The Beta 1 release of Internet Explorer 7 adds an integrated search box that enables users to directly search the Internet without having to load a third-party toolbar - similar to features offered in Firefox and Opera. But the current search options are restricted to just a few sites, prompting concern of favoritism.

Microsoft tells BetaNews, however, that IE7 will feature a fully configurable search bar in its final form and users can choose whatever search they prefer. "In Beta 1, it's limited to a group of popular search providers and inherits its default setting from the search-provider setting the user had chosen for AutoSearch in Internet Explorer 6," a Microsoft spokesperson said. "However, for the final release, this toolbar search box will be extensible for users to add any search provider they choose."