BEIJING, April 26(Xinhuanet) -- Internet users were given a peek at a revamped version of Microsoft Corp.'s Internet Explorer Wednesday, a response to criticism that the most popular tool for Web surfing and hacking made users vulnerable to malicious programs such as viruses and worms.

    "Perception of security is of the highest level," commented Gene Munster, an analyst with Piper Jaffray.

    The new version of Internet Explorer will provide color-coded warnings when a user tries to access a Web site that is suspicious or known as fraudulent. But users already encounter -- and ignore -- many Internet warnings because they're hard for beginners to understand.

    Internet Explorer's other new features include the abilities to automatically open several frequently used Web sites at once and print Web pages. The new browser also allows users to tailor search functions, aggregating searches from various sources. It can also magnify pages so fonts are larger and easier to read.

    A final version of the browser is expected to be released later this year. Enditem

   (Agencies)