March 5th, 2008
Internet Explorer 8 Beta 1 - Tour
I’ve just downloaded and installed the beta 1 of Internet Explorer 8 into a virtual machine (no way am I ready to let that loose on my systems outside of a VM).
I’ve only been using it a few minutes so there’s no much to say beyond a few initial thoughts:
- Install was quick, easy and painless.
- IE8 looks an awful lot like IE7, just with a few tweaks.
- Speed-wise IE8 feels snappier than IE7 … might be an illusion.
- If features such as Web Slices are going to take off, Microsoft needs to get web developers on board … fast.
- The redesigned address bar might help curb phishing attacks by making the domain you’re visiting easier to spot.
- Thanks to all the Activities stuff, the right-click is awfully busy.
- I’m seeing a lot of minor site breakages in IE8 (running in IE7 emulation mode unbreaks the sites).
- IE8 recovers from unexpected shutdowns very well.
- Contrary to some reports I’ve been reading, IE8 Beta 1 passes the ACID 2 test:
Here’s a rough-and-ready image gallery to help you get a feel for the browser.
If you want more information, check out coverage over on Channel 10.
Thoughts?
Adrian is a technology journalist and author who has devoted over a decade to helping users get the most from technology. He also runs a popular blog called The PC Doctor. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations
Want to get in touch? Got a tip? Feel free to drop me a note! I ALWAYS respect anonymity. I'm also on Twitter (@the_pc_doc)
Right to Reply: Should any industry representatives wish to comment on any posts on Hardware 2.0, I will be happy to publish their reply verbatim on this blog.
Subscribe to Hardware 2.0 via Email alerts or RSS.
