Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2

[wellofsouls]

IMO Microsoft is becoming less relevant in the browser scene all the time.

in the geek's "browser scene", maybe. but for the mainstream, you just can't ignore a browser that still has over 70% market, and people still need to make sure their websites work in IE6 when they are making websites for a living.

Downloaded and installed, and immediately went to the Lenovo website to get some information on a new computer, only to find the words are extremely small and unreadable! See attached image. Anyone experience this or know what's going on? Note: Even changing the font size doesn't change anything.

It's because lenovo is doing browser sniffing and sends special "quirky" layout to IE browsers due to past IE quirks. But now IE8 is more standards compliant, they should send the non-quirky layout (for non-IE browsers) to IE8, however since their sites have (naturally) not been updated for IE8, they continue to send the quirky layout, which completely mess up when rendered in the more standards compliant IE8 engine. The only way to fix it is to use the "Compatibility View" button (in front of the refresh button, after the address field) to make IE8 render in IE7 mode.

[SimplyComplex]

interesting, i'll have a look :)

[The_Decryptor Veteran]

so i have to ask this if i install this and dont like it for what ever reason will i be able to uninstall it ? and go back to 7

im running vista sp1

Yep, open Programs and Features then click "View Installed Updates" in the sidebar, it's listed in there.

[wellofsouls]

Oh well it fails the new acid test miserably! Try for yourself here...

What a shock! :whistle:

well, considering that ALL browsers' official releases still fail Acid3, it's not shocking at all. At least it is improving (from 14/100 in IE7 to 18/100 in IE8b1 to 21/100 in IE8b2), and now it fully passes Acid2.

I have Beta 1 installed, and with Beta 2 you must uninstall B1 before installing it. Thing is, I have (apparently) no way of uninstalling B1...it isn't anywhere that I can find! Ugh. I'm on Vista 64 btw. Odd.

don't think there's the need to uninstall B1 before install B2. For me the B2 installation automatically uninstalls B1.

[splicer707]

in the geek's "browser scene", maybe. but for the mainstream, you just can't ignore a browser that still has over 70% market, and people still need to make sure their websites work in IE6 when they are making websites for a living.

I understand your point.

But there is a problem in the House of Microsoft.

They have created a more standards compliant browser, at the same time effectively breaking some sites.

Here is another problem. People who use IE (generalization) don't know a lot about computers. Can you imagine a normal computer user learning that they have to click an icon in the address bar to engage Compatibility View? Not going to happen.

Most users would probably be better of with Firefox since it now breaks less sites than Internet Explorer 8.

:(

well, considering that ALL browsers' official releases still fail Acid3, it's not shocking at all. At least it is improving (from 14/100 in IE7 to 18/100 in IE8b1 to 21/100 in IE8b2), and now it fully passes Acid2.

IE8 Beta 2 scores 12/100.

Firefox 3 scores 71/100.

Not exactly amazing results for IE8. Sadly.

[XerXis]

I understand your point.

But there is a problem in the House of Microsoft.

They have created a more standards compliant browser, at the same time effectively breaking some sites.

Here is another problem. People who use IE (generalization) don't know a lot about computers. Can you imagine a normal computer user learning that they have to click an icon in the address bar to engage Compatibility View? Not going to happen.

Most users would probably be better of with Firefox since it now breaks less sites than Internet Explorer 8.

:(

IE8 Beta 2 scores 12/100.

Firefox 3 scores 71/100.

Not exactly amazing results for IE8. Sadly.

you mean there is a problem in the house of web developers? It's not the user who has to set the compability mode (the user can do it ofcourse) but ultimately it's up to the developer to choose whether he wants his site te be compliant (doctype) or use quirks mode.

[splicer707]

Perhaps. Either way the user will end up loosing. I hate the idea of having to click a button to fix IE8 so that it loads a web site correctly.

[The_Decryptor Veteran]

I'd love MS to fix the mime-type sniffing it does, instead of forcing sites to opt-out of it.

Ever go to a site in Firefox and get the markup as plain text instead? It's because in IE it transparently treats it as HTML (ignoring the mime-type), so the web developer doesn't bother fixing it.

[mad_onion]

Perhaps. Either way the user will end up loosing. I hate the idea of having to click a button to fix IE8 so that it loads a web site correctly.

not really, the very few sites that have issues now will be mostly resolved by the time the browser is released and if it not within a couple of months.

basically competitiion between browsers is good. everybody wins.

[Skulltrail-old]

Lol. This was leaked weeks ago.

[splicer707]

basically competition between browsers is good. everybody wins.

(Y)

Yes. But I just don't see IE8 to be real competition to Firefox 3 right now.

Even now at Beta 2, IE8 is clearly better than IE7. But it still feels like a lesser product to Opera and Firefox.

Lol. This was leaked weeks ago.

Same as what Microsoft released today?

So why did Microsoft make geeks wait?

[Skulltrail-old]

(Y)

Yes. But I just don't see IE8 to be real competition to Firefox 3 right now.

Even now at Beta 2, IE8 is clearly better than IE7. But it still feels like a lesser product to Opera and Firefox.

Same as what Microsoft released today?

So why did Microsoft make geeks wait?

That is what I lulz about...

[cork1958]

Much better than beta 1, that's for sure. Now I can finally ditch Opera and go back to IE :)

How lame!

Browser hopping fanboy!! :laugh:

I don't see anything spectacular about this. It's just a browser!!

I'll stick with Seamonkey, because I know how to make my own decisions and not just follow behind everyone else!! ;)

Time to switch back/boot to Linux

[Unto Darkness]

Microsoft really need to get out of the Internet Browser business... seriously.

I'd like to see you make a better browser :rolleyes:

I don't know what the fuss on the Acid3 Test is all about. Majority of the computer users are casual users and not end users like developers. If most pages render fine and follows most of the web standards, what's the problem? Even developers don't seem to be too unhappy with this release.

[Skulltrail-old]

I don't see anything spectacular about this. It's just a browser!!

You would understand if you knew how awful Internet Explorer was and Microsoft's commitments to making it a better browser.

IE used to be the only logical browser to use until Firefox and Opera came along (then Safari). Now it's all about competition and IE is hanging back while everyone waits for it to make a comeback...

[»X«]

I don't use Opera because I don't like the password manager. I use Firefox 3 but wished they allowed me to open .exe files when I download rather than have to save it first. Maybe IE 8 will get me to ditch FF. I shall see when I get home :p

[splicer707]

The way I see it. Unless Mozilla totally botches up Firefox 3.1 -> . Firefox will continue to capture more market share from Microsoft.

[wellofsouls]

I understand your point.

But there is a problem in the House of Microsoft.

They have created a more standards compliant browser, at the same time effectively breaking some sites.

Here is another problem. People who use IE (generalization) don't know a lot about computers. Can you imagine a normal computer user learning that they have to click an icon in the address bar to engage Compatibility View? Not going to happen.

Most users would probably be better of with Firefox since it now breaks less sites than Internet Explorer 8.

:(

Most users would probably still keeps using IE6 and IE7, until Windows 7 comes out and pre-installs IE8 or IE9 with it. Really, those who "don't know a lot about computers" don't learn to download an alternative browser, they just keep using what comes with the OS.

And I'm pretty sure Firefox won't "breaks less sites" than IE8, at least after IE8 goes final, since by that time all those company managers will drive their programmers to check for IE8 compatibility. I'm pretty sure for those web programmers who make a living by coding websites (myself being one of them), it's an easy choice between adding a meta tag to the website to force IE7 mode, or getting fired and let their family starve :pinch:

As someone who makes a living by writing websites, I always dream for a world where I only need to code by web standards, but for now as long as IE still has the big chunk of the market, my boss'll force me to code for IE in the foreseeable future :x

IE8 Beta 2 scores 12/100.

Firefox 3 scores 71/100.

Not exactly amazing results for IE8. Sadly.

It's 21/100, not 12/200, for IE8b2. When it comes to IE, that score already surpassed my expectations :laugh:

[SMELTN]

I have to use IE for my work backend, it doesn't support FF.. SO going to update to IE8 now to see how it runs

[wellofsouls]

IE used to be the only logical browser to use until Firefox and Opera came along (then Safari). Now it's all about competition and IE is hanging back while everyone waits for it to make a comeback...

Actually Opera 1.0 was there before IE 1.0 ;)

The way I see it. Unless Mozilla totally botches up Firefox 3.1 -> . Firefox will continue to capture more market share from Microsoft.

I agree, but at the same time Firefox won't be able to surpass IE in market share in the foreseeable future, and I'm pretty sure even if it happens, it won't be in the lifetime of IE8.

Smart Screen filtering is a good idea. But how do I report sites to Microsoft that are not safe or block them myself?

there's a "Report Unsafe Website" in Menu Bar -> Tools -> SmartScreen Filter -> Report Unsafe Website

[simsie]

I also noticed in IE8 in the compatibilty view settings it's already set it so intranet sites run in IE7 mode automatically. Smart move!

[splicer707]

It's 21/100, not 12/200, for IE8b2. When it comes to IE, that score already surpassed my expectations :laugh:

You are correct. My mistake. There is a gold bar popup about running Microsoft XML or something, then the test completed.

I agree, but at the same time Firefox won't be able to surpass IE in market share in the foreseeable future, and I'm pretty sure even if it happens, it won't be in the lifetime of IE8.

Microsoft would have to stop bundling IE with Windows or be forced to stop bundling IE with Windows. Then Firefox would have a real chance to take the market. :)

[NateB1]

Microsoft would have to stop bundling IE with Windows or be forced to stop bundling IE with Windows. Then Firefox would have a real chance to take the market. :)

And how exactly would you download Firefox on a new computer, then?

[0sit0]

nice... works much better than beta 1... all my sites used to be broken before now they work perfectly. Thx goodness i didn't spend time "fixing" them back then :)

[acseven]

Installed the beta, and had some issues...

The windows sidebar does not open, keeps crashing (it just opens the bar itself and then crashes).

Another thing, it BSODed my system ... Probably something with Kaspersky Internet Security 2009 (klif.sys)

Other than this, it is fast!

System: Vista x64, E6600 4Gb RAM