Microsoft pushing Internet Explorer 8

via Windows Update 2009-Jun-09

[jdMorgan]

I just noticed a Windows update icon in my system tray and clicked on it, expecting another security fix. But lo and behold, it informed me that it's time to install IE8.

Jim

[tedster]

I only recently got serious about IE8 - and was knocked down by how it broke the template for a very recently launched site (validated and tested in just about everything except IE8). Yes, "Compatibility View" fixes it - but who wants users to need to take that step? I guess a nag is a good thing, in this case.

And now I read there's a security update coming for IE8, too.

[swa66]

In my experience if you have *nothing* specific for legacy IE versions in your CSS, then IE8 does just fine like any other standards compliant browser. It's only when IE8 sees the added stuff for IE6 and IE7 that it starts to act up.

Conditional comments not targeting IE8 are the easiest solution by far.

But It will be a blessing if Microsoft can get IE6 usage wiped away, just imagine the time saved around the world for not having to deal with *that* browser. IE7 is of course next in line.

[tedster]

It's only when IE8 sees the added stuff for IE6 and IE7 that it starts to act up.

That's what I was assuming, too, but I had a wake-up call. When I get this current case boiled down to its essence, I'll post about it. There are no IE conditionals involved.

Still, I'll be very happy to see IE6 fade away along with the corporate attitude that created it.

[jdMorgan]

Yeah, I should have sub-titled the thread "Ready or not, here it comes" to better reflect my intent for posting it.

I was actually surprised at the relatively-high up-take on IE8 before this "forced upgrade" -- It seemed to be pretty strong, considering that Web users previously had to intentionally "go get it" from MS.

Equally surprising (to me) is that we haven't already seen a bunch of new threads here at WebmasterWorld about user complaints of sites not working with their freshly-installed IE8 browsers.

Jim

[incrediBILL]

I have the IE8 upgrade blocked, MS has some little program you can download that stops the upgrade.

So far no IE8 so maybe this toolkit still works:
[microsoft.com...]

[Baruch Menachem]

I looked at apple's new movie for the new product releases. They claim Safari is 100% compliant with standards.

They also say that IE 8 is only 20% compliant.

That can't be a good business model.

[swa66]

IE8 still lacks in the standards department: e.g. SVG is fully and completely absent.
But to the credit of Microsoft: they finally seems to have caught up on CSS2.1, granted the rest of the browsers are stating on giving us the future CSS3 in bits and pieces and well IE8 gives nothing of that yet, but at least it's a giant leap forward on the CSS side of things.
Now we only need to find a way to not have people use that blocker and to have them upgrade away of the horror of the legacy IE versions.

I'm wondering if Microsoft will finally start to fix bugs in IE8 aside of security issues and violated patents, cause they never fixed bugs in IE6 nor IE7 related to their very broken CSS implementations.

Till they do get rid of the legacy versions in the field and start to update the browser for bugs, from a CSS perspective, their browsers remain a block of concrete on our legs while trying to swim across the lake.

[encyclo]

For those getting the update notifications now, are you running Vista or XP? I got offered the update several weeks ago on my Vista machine.

[coopster]

Equally surprising (to me) is that we haven't already seen a bunch of new threads here at WebmasterWorld about user complaints of sites not working with their freshly-installed IE8 browsers.

Hey, it's a proactive community jd! EVERYBODY downloaded beta and tested their sites earlier to ensure transition, right?