Microsoft Watch has posted an article with rumored details on IE7. That the release will primarily be focused on security, and will include tabbed browsing come as no surprise. They say native (i.e., no Direct-X filters required) support for alpha transparency in PNG is also in the cards.
The advance word on CSS, however, isn’t so good. Rumor has it the IE team hasn’t yet decided what to do with CSS, but are leaning towards a very modest update. According to Microsoft Watch’s sources, despite continued pressure from working web developers Microsoft is leaning towards adding support for an unspecified number of currently-unsupported bits, but not addressing current bugs or attempting to support the latest version of CSS in its entirety.
Of course these are just rumors, and as any avid Mac fan knows the gulf between rumor and reality can be very wide indeed. Heck, when it comes to Microsof the gulf between early official announcements and actual, shipping reality can be wide. Just look at Longhorn.
Here’s hoping that rumors of Microsoft’s wavering commitment to CSS are just that — rumors — and that reality will be much closer to what Chris Wilson has indicated.