IE 8

[JDArt]

Internet Explorer 8 is now at the release candidate stage. I've loaded it up and am quite impressed. It's very fast, and MIcrosoft seems to have fixed all of the compatibility issues that I knew of.

[mort]

I am ruuning IE8 RC1 and think it is an improvment over IE7. It is faster and many sites I visit display better.

[dgs]

Originally Posted by JDArt

Internet Explorer 8 is now at the release candidate stage. I've loaded it up and am quite impressed. It's very fast, and MIcrosoft seems to have fixed all of the compatibility issues that I knew of.

How does it do with the acid2 test now? I have heard they are going to improve css substantially.

The Second Acid Test

Here is how it looks in safari

[moggi1964]

Exactly the same as the reference which is the same as your picture.

I like the way IE8 will auto switch (sometimes) to 'Compatibility Mode' if a website isn't rendering properly.

I have tried Firefox; Safari; Chrome, Opera and IE8 over the past couple of months and surprisingly IE8 reners more websites correctly. Sadly it also crashes more often than any of the others

[dgs]

I had read that it was going to start in compatabiliy mode, has that changed? Life will be sweet if Microsoft starts following standards. It is hard to code for IE6.

[member666]

Still a Firefox fan. I haven't tried the latest IE however.

[JDArt]

Originally Posted by dgs

I had read that it was going to start in compatabiliy mode, has that changed? Life will be sweet if Microsoft starts following standards. It is hard to code for IE6.

No issues with compatibility here. This one's definitely worth a try--it's free, after all.

[aram535]

Sorry couldn't resist:

IE8 is here, IE8 is hacked

[00silvergt]

I use them all. Firefox reigns as the all time favorite, but it is quickly becoming a classic PITA, like IE because of it's popularity. I also use Opera and Chrome and Safari. I downloaded IE 8 yesterday and I was amaze that a Microsoft product, out of the gate for general consumption did not fall flat on its face. That's already a major plus for me.

[aram535]

You think Firefox is becoming a PITA because its popular? I don't understand.

[KmH]

Originally Posted by aram535

Sorry couldn't resist:

IE8 is here, IE8 is hacked

Mac hacked in under 10 seconds.

Sorry, couldn't resist.

[00silvergt]

Originally Posted by aram535

You think Firefox is becoming a PITA because its popular? I don't understand.

The more popular the browser, the more adware and other vunerabilities will be exploited about the browser. Remember when it first came out, Firefox was touted as the "better" browser mainly because it did not have I.E.'s security leaks...well much like how Macs brag about being virus free in the 90's...so as it becomes more worthwhile, more people are using it, hackers will find a way to make it not so good and secure anymore. Firefox is now at version 3.07, mainly because of the exploited issues it had. So as the browser becomes more popular, the more it becomes a PITA because it now loses the security and headache-free browsing it once had.

[aram535]

I see, its not really the software that is PITA but the attention paid to it since it has become more popular. I guess that is the doom of everything, including Firefox and Google.

[00silvergt]

Originally Posted by aram535

I see, its not really the software that is PITA but the attention paid to it since it has become more popular. I guess that is the doom of everything, including Firefox and Google.

I guess, that's one way of looking at it, but to look at it that way would equate Firefox with IE. In all tense and purpose, without the exploits, IE is a formidable browser that is currently the "industry" standard in which a larger percentage of website work, thanks mostly to Microsoft's domination of almost every facet of computer life.

What sets most of off IE is the consistent security leaks that seems to follow that browser like the proverbial fly on -you know what-. But that's because IE is the victim of its own success or rather Microsoft's dominance. It is more pronounce and available that there are lots of fame and glory to the hacker with loose morals to attack and exploit it. The same goes for marketing and business. If you were to design a adware or something that spies on your prospects for which browser would you likely aim it? With IE shipped with every Windows PC and Windows owning more than 80% of our desktops, it is the likely candidate.

However, thanks to growing support to Firefox, it is now also a victim of its own success. So in a way, this makes Firefox a PITA. The other gripe with Firefox is, have you ever left a full browser opened overnight? Full browser meaning one that has over 4 or 5 websites tabbed and a battery >8-10 add-ons . Only to discover that your PC is now crawling and falling flat on its face. On one hand it is Xp's or Vista's poor memory management, but also Firefox's poor CPU spool time and memory management. Often times when the PC is hung and is locked, If you access the task manager you will find that Firefox, even while idled will take up a lot of your CPU time. In some cases over 98%, add an Outlook client opened and you are out of business until you quit Firefox. Restarting Firefox and revisiting the sites would usually get you back your CPU time until later when the browser decides to leak again. Which is a good indication that the problem is poor management with Firefox.

I don't seem to have that problem with Opera or Chrome. Safari just runs pretty bad on a Windows machine anyway. If I was not so much the geek I am I would really have just skipped Safari as a browser for the PC. Actually with that said, Safari is not much better on the Mac neither. I use Firefox on my G5 PPC. Safari tends to lock and stop responding a lot. So, yes, "Virginia" Macs do crash...lol

[00silvergt]

BTW, to redirect and get back on topic. I have been playing with IE 8 for a day and the accelerator function, works pretty well. I notice a faster load time with IE 8 v. Firefox, Chrome, Opera or Safari. Pages instantly appear, often without any missing content which needs to be loaded. I understand that this is a preliminary observation, so this may change as I get to know IE 8 more. But so far, it is looking like it is a pretty decent browser. Frankly, again, I'm surprised that something with the Microsoft name is actually working and working well at the RC1 level.

BTW, for reference, I am connected to the internet via ADSL through AT&T in Northern California. I am about 15 miles from the central office and about a block away from the closest B box with a fiber hut. I am using their "Elite" service which gives me a down throughput of about a maximum of 5mbps, which averages about 5.5 which is not that bad. I share this connection with an Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, Sony On-Location host device, 5 PC's, 1 Windows 2003 Server, SAN and 1 laptop and a Mac. At the time I was browsing during my observation, I was running Firefox 3.07 with 2 tabbed URL's and 3 downloads in Vuze (public domain torrents of course! )

[dgs]

Originally Posted by 00silvergt

What sets most of off IE is the consistent security leaks that seems to follow that browser like the proverbial fly on -you know what-. But that's because IE is the victim of its own success or rather Microsoft's dominance. It is more pronounce and available that there are lots of fame and glory to the hacker with loose morals to attack and exploit it. The same goes for marketing and business. If you were to design a adware or something that spies on your prospects for which browser would you likely aim it? With IE shipped with every Windows PC and Windows owning more than 80% of our desktops, it is the likely candidate.

I see Microsofts dominance more as a result of pre-bundling the os on every Intel computer. Have you ever tried to purchase one without Windows? IE, has been embedded into the OS, and we have been told that it was impossible to separate it. Now IE 8 is a standalone. I suspect that the exploits have more to do with the fact that business's tend to use MS Office, as few options are left, and it is more profitable to hack business systems because they run the financial programs. Who really wants to steal my pictures anyway?

[00silvergt]

Originally Posted by dgs

I see Microsofts dominance more as a result of pre-bundling the os on every Intel computer. Have you ever tried to purchase one without Windows? IE, has been embedded into the OS, and we have been told that it was impossible to separate it. Now IE 8 is a standalone. I suspect that the exploits have more to do with the fact that business's tend to use MS Office, as few options are left, and it is more profitable to hack business systems because they run the financial programs. Who really wants to steal my pictures anyway?

Well, yes, it started back when Windows 98 first shipped. IE was integrated with the OS and it was almost impossible to remove. Of course your choices back then was IE or Netscape...lol. Netscape and the DOJ actually pursued Microsoft for Anti-Trust issues regarding IE. Both in Civil and Criminal court. The result was a compromise that IE will be a separate product. However, with XP and Vista it is somewhat bundled and it is still integrated, albeit if you follow a step of instructions you can remove it. But it is much easier to leave as a secondary browser since because of the domination, it is pretty much the defacto for most websites.

No, the exploits are there because not one browser is fool-proof. If you want something to come in and out legitimately, there will also be a way to exploit that flaw. I mean you can have relative safety, of course, but to claim that a particular browser is hacker proof is like claiming the Titanic to be unsinkable.

With that said, as a browser, any browser draws attention, and becomes popular, so will the amount of hackers claiming to exploit the new browser. It is a matter of recognition and respect in the hacker community. No one gives you street cred for busting a browser that only 2% of the internet community uses. But you get much props if you were able to bring down millions of users. Again, I refer back to my reference about the Mac. For ages, the Mac claimed to be Virus-Free and a safe environment. This is true, but not because Apple has done such a great job that hackers could not find an exploit. It was due to the fact that Apple only had 5% of the market share. So when Apple rose and grew up 20% of the market, it is now experiencing some growth problems and have a NAV version just for them. Does this mean Unix or the application that run under Unix known as OS X leopard\snow leopard, slacking in security compared to the OS 9 or older Os's? No, it is just, Mac's have attracted the attention of the Hacker community.

It is not always about money, with hackers. Hackers feed of fame and glory and boost of their own egos. To bring down systems of a large number, to break into a security system that is supposedly unbreakable, etc. These give the hacker street cred, so it doesn't necessarily mean the hacker is motivated by stealing financial documents, albeit, I know in some cases it is, but more of gaining the respect of the community and the fame or imfamy that rides along with it.

[JDArt]

IE 8 appears now to be final, no longer RC.

[gilfish]

I ended up unistalling RC1 because of it's incompatibility with different websites. However the final version seems to be fine.

[JDArt]

Originally Posted by gilfish

I ended up unistalling RC1 because of it's incompatibility with different websites. However the final version seems to be fine.

Agree.