Several months after arriving as the default browser on Windows 8, Internet Explorer 10 is now available for its predecessor, Windows 7.
On Tuesday, Microsoft made IE10 for Windows 7 available for download on its site. The company also promises to release the update automatically for those running IE9 and the IE10 preview version Microsoft made available to Windows 7 users in November. Users will be prompted to install the update over the coming weeks.
Only recently did IE9 surpass IE8 installs on Windows 7, according to data cited by Microsoft. But it's not quite as popular as Google Chrome 15, which is the most popular browser in the world, according to StatCounter.
Microsoft says that IE10 is 20% faster than IE9. It also offers greater CSS3 and HTML5 support than version 9.
In conjunction with the release, Microsoft released a video ad featuring former singer and American Idol runner-up Blake Lewis (above), which emphasizes touch support on its mobile devices -- a little odd, frankly, given the relative scarcity of touch-enabled Windows 7 devices. The ad points users to exploretouch.ie, an interactive site that touts IE10's new features. It can only be viewed, of course, on IE10.