Eric Johnson is pocketing extra cash, Chandra Shekar Chivukula is putting together a slide show, and Mauricio Cuenca is enjoying a bigger view of the Web--all because of Internet Explorer 5. They have each been using the new browser for months as part of the world-wide beta testing program Microsoft uses to test its products. These unpaid but greatly appreciated computer users provide vital feedback to Microsoft, and now we've asked them to share some of their favorite new Internet Explorer features and tips.

Applause all around for AutoComplete

By far the most popular response we received was about the new AutoComplete feature. Our testers loved everything about it:  from the new drop-down menu that appears when you start to type an address, to the way it remembers information you type in Web forms. And several testers, including the following two, actually measured just how much time they save with AutoComplete.

Eric Johnson is chalking up some extra income thanks to Internet Explorer 5. A computer reseller in Missouri, Johnson finds the new AutoComplete feature boosts his productivity so much that he can build an additional computer each week. He explains, "On some sites, it would take 20 or more keystrokes to access the information I needed. Now, it is down to 4 mouse clicks. No other browser even comes close."

Thomas Skinner, (age 13) from British Columbia, Canada, notes how much easier it is to fill out forms on the Web with AutoComplete. "If there is a form you use often, fill it out once.  Then the next time you go to it everything is there.  Pages that used to take up to a minute to complete you can now finish within ten seconds. This is a great feature."

Internet Explorer: A wiz at getting work done

By using the new browser everyday for months, our testers discovered which new features most helped them to get their work done.

Among Chandra Shekar Chivukula's favorite new features is the ability to save an entire Web page on your computer. When he started preparing for a recent slide show presentation in India where he works as a project manager in Web technologies, he found a Web site that had information he wanted to refer to. He was about to start right-clicking each picture to save on his hard disk, when he remembered the Save As feature. He then saved the entire site, including graphics, in a snap.

Michael Kroiss, a student at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania, finds some of the smaller changes most helpful. "I regularly switch between dial-up and network connections, so I set Internet Explorer 5 to locate my Internet connection automatically. It's not fancy, but it sure does save a lot of time!"

Peter Cooper Jr., a student from Charlton, Massachusetts, makes the most of working offline. "I have Internet Explorer 5 set up to update my subscriptions when I log in. As soon as I get on the computer, I can see what important pages have been updated." To customize your update schedules, click the Tools menu, click Synchronize, and then click the Setup button. On the Logon tab, check the When I log on to my computer box.

Arizona computer consultant, Brian Carpenter, pointed out that now you can import and export favorites (also known as bookmarks). This handy feature makes it easy for you to share your Favorites list with others or to copy it to another computer.

In the U.K., freelance consultant Mark Cherry enjoys being able to use his favorite text editor to open and edit a page from Internet Explorer 5. To choose your favorite editor, click Internet Options on the Tools menu. On the Program tab, select the program you want to use to edit HTML pages.

The best tips: Our testers tell all

Customization is key when it comes to having it your way. Our beta testers love the new customization features that let them work the way they want.

Mauricio Cuenca shares his tip for maximizing the viewing area while surfing the Web. "I like to have plenty of space in my 800x600 desktop when browsing the Web, so the feature that I most love from Internet Explorer 5 is the Toolbar Customization. I can have just what I want in it, saving a lot of space in my browser window." To customize your browser toolbar, click the View menu, point to Toolbars, and then click Customize.

John Donnelly, a software developer in the U.K. created his own recipe for cookie use. "Now you can choose which sites you will send cookies to and which to avoid. Go to the Tools menu, click Internet Options, and then click the Security tab. I set Internet Sites to "Prompt", Local Intranet and Trusted Sites to "Enable Cookies", and Restricted Sites to "Disable Cookies".

Renaming links is the coolest new customization feature for Daniel Jahn, a professional software engineer in Cary, North Carolina. He creates links by dragging a Web page's document icon from the Address bar to the Links bar. To rename a link, he right-clicks the newly created link and then clicks Rename. "This sure beats going through the old Organize Favorites menu." Other testers added that it's a good idea to use shorter names for your links because then you'll be able to fit more links on the toolbar.

Thanks to our beta testers for sharing their tips and favorite features. And most of all, thanks for helping create such a great browser.

Gayle Picken doesn't need a stop-watch to know that she is saving time with the new AutoComplete feature in Internet Explorer 5.