IE8 - Opinions?

[forthbridge]

been using it since RC with no problem, and the browser dosen't give you spyware, its where you go on the net, or bad things that have already embedded themselves on your PC.

That's about the most sane post I've ever read about IE anywhere. True, IE7 did give me problems when it first went onto my last PC (not spyware related).

I was reading some of the daft complaints such as 'it takes longer to install than firefox' (even if it took five minutes longer, so what?).

There's reason (if you want) to hold of on any new release, but in my case, virtually my entire online time is spent on sites I know the integrity of. If a Viscount style trojan starts appearing on my machine, I'll know it's DaveB ;-)

[nigelb]

Thanks for all your reples everyone! It looks like Windows Update is now in widespread distribution of IE8 so any major bugs should pop out in the next few weeks. Based on that and your replies, I will probably install it sooner rather than later.

Nigel²

[DaveB]

If a Viscount style trojan starts appearing on my machine, I'll know it's DaveB

I wouldn't know one if I had one Jim. You mention Trojans and I think of Troy

I have to say that I subscribe to Ben's words of wisdom in that it's not necessarily the browser that causes nasty things to inhabit your pc but where you go. None of my pc's are awash with malware, spyware, ANY sort of ware as far as I know and my bank balances remain where I expect them to be not because of any outside intervention but by my own hand. If you go into a brothel and don't wear protection.. you get what you deserve. If you walk past and have a Bacardi and Coke 'with ice'.. all you'll get is the sh*ts at worst ;-)

I only accepted IE7 recently after deciding to keep '1' pc as up to date as I could when I saw IE8 was getting ready for 'finals' and to stop me seeing a load of crap I didn't want to see on this pc on sites like Simmarket. Those who have IE6 will know what I mean.. those who had IE6 and moved to IE7 will know what I mean but those who dived in at IE7 won't

I'm not saying that one argument is right and the other is wrong but if you drive on glass for long enough.. you will get a puncture.. sooner rather than later

ATB

DaveB :tab:

[Quixoticish]

been using it since RC with no problem, and the browser dosen't give you spyware, its where you go on the net, or bad things that have already embedded themselves on your PC.

No-one said the browser gives you spyware. However historically all versions of Internet Explorer have been far more unsecure than many other browsers and when a fix is required it takes far longer to be pushed out via the MS update system.

Things may be different with IE8 and they may have learned from past mistakes but I'm afraid it's a case of once bitten twice shy.

[petermcleland]

Just for information, I have found IE8 to be substantially slower at getting a website and then paging it.

Here is a fix for that problem if you have it:-

On the right click Tools...In the drop down click Compatibility Settings

In the window that comes up, tick the box at bottom left "Display all websites in Compatibility View". Click the Close button.

Websites will now proceed at the faster pace that they used before

BTW I find it useful to remember that F11 gives "Full Screen Mode" (quicker than Alt+Enter)...I like to use it for slide shows like my Elephants:-

http://www.petermcleland.com/ADDO

[Chris Sykes]

Ive got to say i love it more than IE7, the favourite tabs are just brill!

Chris H, its those dirty dirty sites you look at!!!

[ianhind]

Display all websites in Compatibility View

Well I feel better about my original comment now - that option seems to make IE8 render web sites like IE7 did!

http://www.mydigitallife.info/2009/02/2 ... view-mode/

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/intern ... ation.aspx

Ian

[speedbird591]

Well I feel better about my original comment now

... and I feel bad about mine It looked a bit 'snappy' and, in light of the facts, it reveals how little I know about it - sorry if I sounded a bit dismissive, Ian

Those articles and Peter's advice certainly help to optimise IE8. Thank you both.

Ian

[DaveB]

Evenin'

I thought I'd be really clever tonight and intall IE8. At the same time, I had 'Demand FIVE' on watching Tuesdays CSI. Next part of the plan was to get up in the morning and make sure my jeans were hanging off my @rse, wear a stinking old T-Shirt and perhaps, wear a baseball cap in that jaunty, 'brother' sort of way

What I've ended up with is this..
CSI was fine
IE8.. well, my toolbars are now f*cked (black) :roll: I dived back here in the hope of finding something useful and see that the best tip is to force IE7 compatibilty mode. This makes me wonder :think: Why are we updating to a browser that goes slower but can be made better when you force it to work as the previous version did :think:

Can't see the point and have no desire to find out why. Back to IE7 in less than 30mins

I don't know what that version does either so how do you think I feel with v8 ;-) Never mind.. it passed an hour away (netframework version 3 came down too at 240-oddmb) so I can go to bed knowing that I've 'touched' the future.. and got burned

EDIT..
A footnote. IE8 is now gone and my toolbars are back to normal. M$ have immediately offered me IE8 as an update towit I've told it not to bother offering it to me again. Sadly, I've become intolerant of stuff like this. Most of what these things do I have no desire to use (that goes for the slightly blurred IE7 too) and what's more, I don't understand most of what I'm being offered.

ATB

DaveB :tab:

[ianhind]

Why are we updating to a browser that goes slower but can be made better when you force it to work as the previous version did

Dave

Microsoft did not completely follow the standards for web browsers and, as market leader, web pages were written to cope with the non-standard bits while also still working with the compliant browsers such as Opera and Firefox. If you have ever looked at the html code for complex web pages, it has a lot of statements testing which browser is in use.

Now that Microsoft have produced standards-compliant IE8, the web pages will also need to test for IE8. Eventually as it becomes more widespread there may be no need for the tweaks required for previous versions and web pages may need less decision-making code. Then there will be no need for the compatibility mode, etc. Of course those still using IE6 and IE7 will be pushed to upgrade because they won't work properly any more.

So to answer your question, until there is a large take-up of IE8, web pages won't be modified. And until web pages are modified, compatibility will be needed - chicken and egg it looks like to me.

Ian