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August 27th, 2008

Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 vs. Firefox 3.0.1

Posted by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes @ 2:43 pm

Categories: On the test bench, Software

Tags: Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Beta, Web Browsers, Internet, Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

So, how does Microsoft’s latest beta release of Internet Explorer 8 compare Mozilla’s Firefox 3.0.1 in terms of speed? Let’s find out in this quick head-to-head!

The tests

Two head to head tests:

The results

The results speak for themselves:

SunSpider JavaScript benchmark

 ACID 3

The bottom line

It’s pretty clear from these basic tests that Internet Explorer 8 has a long way to go if it is to catch up with Firefox 3.0 in terms of JavaScript performance and CSS web standard compliance [UPDATE: Whoops, I meant web standards compliance, not CSS, I was still thinking in ACID 2 mode ...].

However, I think that it is worth pointing out that when it comes to performance, Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 is three times faster than the Internet Explorer 7. ACID 3 compliance however isn’t much better than that offered by Internet Explorer 7.

IE8b2 report card: C- … Could do better, much better.

Adrian Kingsley-HughesAdrian 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.

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  • Talkback
  • Most Recent of 84 Talkback(s)
RE: Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 vs. Firefox 3.0.1
This is interesting to see both browsers put side by side. Yet it doesn't surprise me that Firefox is proven to be faster. It is lightweight, which means it's not tied into Windows and runs efficien... (Read the rest)
Posted by: apexwebmaster Posted on: 03/23/09 You are currently: a Guest | | Terms of Use
All part of the MS plan to keep browsers dumbded down. If we had really  DonnieBoy | 08/27/08
But they cannot keep you guys from smartening up  LBiege | 08/27/08
The JavaScript performance on Firefox is still way ahead of IE, and will  DonnieBoy | 08/27/08
Competition on Javascript performance?  LBiege | 08/27/08
Right here right now, AJAX powers the web. Yes, MS HATES the fact that  DonnieBoy | 08/27/08
Try again  LBiege | 08/27/08
Actually, to Microsoft's dismay, JavaScript has been improving very fast  DonnieBoy | 08/27/08
JavaFX is NOT helping Javascript either  LBiege | 08/27/08
JavaScript is not ECMAScript  Fred Fredrickson | 08/27/08
Credibility = "lost";  cfischer83@... | 08/27/08
MS did not invent it alone, but, right now, they are regretting that they  DonnieBoy | 08/27/08
Yup, yours is shot to pieces.  Fred Fredrickson | 08/27/08
30%?  evilkillerwhale@... | 08/28/08
Those are server-side technologies  Spats30 | 08/28/08
They are client-side too (sort of)  LBiege | 08/28/08
Very few websites use Silverlight or Java  K B | 08/29/08
Very few people uses GUI-based OS up until Window 3  LBiege | 08/29/08
Not sure what that analogy means  K B | 08/29/08
And hopefully Flash will disappear.  shawkins | 08/30/08
So, Will Firefox 3.1 Kill ALL Add-Ins?  PMC-CON | 08/28/08
The Firefox add-ons has been a very popular feature of Firefox. The changes  DonnieBoy | 08/28/08
You Are Joking, Right? Maturity and Firefox?  PMC-CON | 08/28/08
Your argument about FF3 breaking addins may...  dinosaur_z | 08/28/08
As the previous poster noted. Sure changes had to be made, but they were  DonnieBoy | 08/28/08
For zealots like Donnie..."OSS works for me. You must be dumb for not...  transposeIT | 08/28/08
You are right but....  deowll | 08/28/08
Add-on developers' job  Greenknight_z | 08/29/08
The JavaScript performance on Firefox is still way ahead of IE, and will  danieljames | 08/29/08
dumbded?  kmsilver | 08/28/08
Dumbed? You mean Donnie? (nt)  transposeIT | 08/28/08
They don't have to try.  ShadeTree | 08/28/08
RE: Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 vs. Firefox 3.0.1  cfischer83@... | 08/27/08
picky, picky, picky  dinosaur_z | 08/28/08
Re "The graph says 3.1"  Greenknight_z | 08/29/08
Well, I will say this.  TripleII | 08/27/08
JIT?  Anarion | 08/27/08
The just in time JavaScript compiler is not enabled by default. Read  DonnieBoy | 08/27/08
RE: Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 vs. Firefox 3.0.1  ZDNET_guest666 | 08/27/08
RE: Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 vs. Firefox 3.0.1  eqpc | 08/27/08
Since when was Acid 3 about CSS compliance?  pinto991 | 08/27/08
Since it was designed.  Fred Fredrickson | 08/28/08
Faster isn't nesscessary if it crashes less than FF3  marks055@... | 08/27/08
Opera is a very good alternative, and so is Safari. The alternative web  DonnieBoy | 08/27/08
RE: Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 vs. Firefox 3.0.1  Henrykind | 08/27/08
wrong...  thomastmc | 08/28/08
Wow  AndyCee | 08/28/08
LOL  Badgered | 08/28/08
LOL (NT)  Stuka | 08/28/08
RE: Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 vs. Firefox 3.0.1  alxnsc@... | 08/28/08
Safari Better than both in Sun test.!!  esdrasf@... | 08/28/08
What's your point? NT  ThereThere | 08/28/08
That IS my point, Safari is better in Javascript.NT  esdrasf@... | 08/29/08
RE: Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 vs. Firefox 3.0.1  s0121@... | 08/28/08
What Parts Of The Word Beta Do People...  OutsideThe Box | 08/28/08
Comparing Beta Code to Released Code? And Other Intellectual Problems  PMC-CON | 08/28/08
Debug code?  Uber Dweeb | 08/28/08
RE: Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 vs. Firefox 3.0.1  jadjkorn64 | 08/28/08
Thanks for the two graphs, Adrian,  mhenriday | 08/28/08
That's a good idea ...  Adrian Kingsley-HughesZDNet Moderator | 08/28/08
RE: Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 vs. Firefox 3.0.1  MarkLR | 08/28/08
Bingo!!  JonnyBlade | 08/28/08
More to the point  deowll | 08/28/08
Not ...  thx-1138_@... | 08/28/08
RE: Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 vs. Firefox 3.0.1  OutsideThe Box | 08/28/08
I disagree ... in part ...  Adrian Kingsley-HughesZDNet Moderator | 08/28/08
RE: Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 vs. Firefox 3.0.1  anthony@... | 08/28/08
Acid2 tests more than just CSS  PB_z | 08/28/08
RE: Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 vs. Firefox 3.0.1  MarkLR | 08/28/08
What's Internet Explorer?  David Blomstrom | 08/28/08
RE: Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 vs. Firefox 3.0.1  swolcott@... | 08/28/08
B****  Master Guru | 08/28/08
RE: Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 vs. Firefox 3.0.1  dch48 | 08/28/08
Tell someone who cares  tonymcs@... | 08/28/08
Firefox 3.1 Alpha 2 is out  daengbo | 08/28/08
RE: Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 vs. Firefox 3.0.1  Lee_Lorenzen | 08/29/08
USD7 billion a year...  Richard Flude | 08/29/08
Wanna Try That Again?  MDOC | 08/29/08
RE: Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 vs. Firefox 3.0.1  cyberpundit | 09/01/08
RE: Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 vs. Firefox 3.0.1  cyberpundit | 09/01/08
RE: Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 vs. Firefox 3.0.1  cyberpundit | 09/01/08
RE: Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 vs. Firefox 3.0.1  cyberpundit | 09/01/08
RE: Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 vs. Firefox 3.0.1  bklooste | 10/12/08
RE: Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 vs. Firefox 3.0.1  yabesh kumar | 03/16/09
RE: Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 vs. Firefox 3.0.1  apexwebmaster | 03/23/09

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