IE8 - RC 1 available for download

[RonPK]

Microsoft has made the first Release Candidate for IE8 available for download [microsoft.com]. Enjoy!

[Hester]

I don't think IE will ever get back to being top browser while it continues to use the terrible button layout introduced with IE7. Why can't we even move the buttons around? You can in other browsers. Users should be able to customize as much as they wish. (Giving power to the users not fixed in stone by a major corporation who have ruined what was once a beautifully layed out browser interface.)

I'll stick with Firefox whatever. It's so much faster at moving through pages (IE reloads each page whereas Firefox keeps them cached unless necessary to reload them, leading to instant redraws when you go back.) I hate surfing with IE after the smoothness of Firefox and Opera. It just seems so clunky and out of date.

[tedster]

The version of IE8 supplied with the Windows 7 beta is 8.0.7000.0
I wonder if there are any major differences.

According to the IE Blog [blogs.msdn.com] there was at least one bug fix in the rendering engine - the Win7 beta version broke on the new whitehouse.gov website, for example.

[Wlauzon]

..I don't think IE will ever get back to being top browser ..

It already IS top browser, unless you consider 70'ish % to not be top.

And personally I hate the new Firefos UI, like the IE8 one better.

[bill]

the Win7 beta version broke on the new whitehouse.gov website, for example.

That's the version I have then. ;)
Looking at the version number I was surprised a bit. I thought I had a newer release. I guess I'll have to get another copy.

[Trace]

I'm simply happy to be back to one main browser again.

Up until now, I needed a version of IE to be able to access sites, like intranets and extranets, that contain all kinds of different pluggins that are IE specific. I needed IE to run our collaboration tools and project management tools.

Being a web developer, Firebug and the other different dev tools that could be used made FX an essential part of every day routines.

I had 2 main browsers.

Now, the developer tools built into IE8 are just as good, if not a tiny bit better, as the add-ons for FX. The rendering engine seems to be back on track. It's fast. The web slices and other accelerators have potential.

Finally, it's back to 1 main browser with a backup for testing purposes. Just the way I like it.

[Hugene]

The problem with IE is how it's tied in with the OS, or at least that is my impression. The whole Windows Update through IE has to go absolutely, and Active X has to be removed. Then we can maybe start talking about security.

[RonPK]

There now also is a Virtual PC image available with XP-SP3 and IE8-RC1, over here [microsoft.com].

[hlang]

>The new "accelerators" look pretty interesting.

IE8's "Accelerator" sounds sexier than Opera's "Widget"

>It still does not score as high as Firefox on the acid3 test

On my machine, Chrome beat Opera, Opera beat FF, FF beat IE7...

[J_RaD]

The problem with IE is how it's tied in with the OS, or at least that is my impression. The whole Windows Update through IE has to go absolutely, and Active X has to be removed. Then we can maybe start talking about security.

there are 2 ways to get to windows update - thru IE or thru the windows update program. been like that for quite some time.

I can't remember the last time I actually opened my browser and went to the website for updates.

[edited by: J_RaD at 3:01 pm (utc) on Feb. 2, 2009]