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Ask DLS: What do you think of Internet Explorer 8 beta 1?
But make no mistake, this is clearly beta software. IE8 beta 1 is not compatible with pre-release versions of Windows Vista SP1, doesn't work with a ton of IE7 add-ons like Skype, Google, and Yahoo! toolbars, and appears to enjoy making abstract paintings out of some web sites as you can see in the image above.
We know many Download Squad readers have been testing IE8 beta 1 out since the download links went live at about 3PM EST today, so what have your experiences been like? What works? What doesn't? What do you like? What needs improvement? And is Internet Explorer 8 likely to convince you to switch from Firefox, Opera, or whatever web browser you currently use?
Sound off in the comments.
Comments
29
Subscribe to commentsMatt S.Mar 6th 2008 7:58AM
I love how everyone jumps automatically to thinking its IE8's fault for messing up a site. No it could never be the site author's IE5 or 6 or 7 hacks messing up the page for IE8 nahhhhh. Because its Microsoft they could never do anything right.. It could never be the incompliant code on the site (and before everyone yells at me. Im not talking about a google site or a ms site).
Matt S.Mar 6th 2008 1:19AM
Oh and I installed it in a few clicks on a final sp1 vista machine. It went fine. No trouble and rendered the Acid2 test 100%.
MatMar 6th 2008 7:59AM
It crashes on load, reinstalled twice, still does.... yet another fail for microsoft.
momojieMar 6th 2008 7:59AM
After trying for several hours,I uninstalled it.As they say,it is IE 8 beta 1 for developers,not for end-users.I think it is just a release for web developers to understand the new features then improve their site.
kingkool68Mar 6th 2008 10:24AM
I'm only interested from a development perspective and it does a bit of glitchy things. Not quite standards mode yet. On the plus side I like how IE7 emulation is built in so with the click of a button I can see how it looks in the old browser.
The development tools are a little bit like Firebug though I found they don't really work. For example, I had the hardest time trying to manipulate the CSS for some elements by unchecking the box.
For the bigger picture this won't be a magic bullet release. Sure we have standards support but web developers everywhere will still have to support IE7 if not IE6 for a good while to come. I would opt in to including the IE7 meta tag in to your document and be done with it until there is widespread adoption of IE8.
Hopefully in 2-3 years cross browser checking will be a thing of the past.
Joe BeaulaurierMar 6th 2008 11:18AM
@Matt S - you pegged it. IE8 communicates that IE has arrived so the site provides its IE-specific page to the browser. Except now, IE8 doesn't like what it's being served - what was fine for IE7 and prior. Beta testers should consider changing the user-agent setting to FF or Opera just for yucks and see if the pages behave better.
IE7Pro will help you do that (it appears to have coexisted just fine with IE8).
michaelMar 6th 2008 9:33PM
If pages have a problem rendering : Go to Tools > IE7 Mode.
Not ALL web pages ready for IE8 because of the previous IE's lack of standards, so pressing the render IE7 mode button might help a bit until websites update their codes a bit.
And this is a BETA. Remember. I bet those of you who unistall it are just going to ludicrous and say that it's horrible to your friends and never use it again. Even if it's a beta...
Dwight StegallMar 10th 2008 9:35PM
It seems to have some issues with links yet. Sometimes when you click a link it highlights the word directly to the left of it.
campbellwatermanMar 11th 2008 6:34PM
Rubbish. Stick with Firefox