Print
Although lots of people are ready to give IE8 a try, it's a beta - beta 1, to be precise. So, what could go wrong? I'm glad you asked. The Release Notes for Beta 1 (aka KB949787) take eight pages to print using IE7's default Shrink to Fit setting. Clearly, the issues with this release aren't trivial. Some highlights (or lowlights, depending upon your point of view) include:
As is typical for an early beta (and you can't get any earlier than Beta 1), IE8 has a lot of rough edges. Unfortunately, because IE8, like previous versions of IE, works its way through most every nook and cranny of Windows, you can't install it alongside your current version of IE - it replaces your current version. Sure, when you uninstall IE8 Beta 1, you get your previous version back, but with the limitations of IE8 Beta 1, that might not be enough.
So, how can you take IE8 Beta 1 for a test drive safely? One word: virtualization. If you have a spare Windows XP license (such as a version of Windows XP Home or Professional you're not using anymore), you can download Virtual PC 2007 free from Microsoft, install Windows XP as a virtual machine, and install IE8 Beta 1 into the virtualized operating system. You could also install a trial version of Windows Vista Enterprise (already available as a virtualized download ready to run under Virtual PC 2007) and install IE8 Beta 1 to it. If the virtual machine crashes or hiccups, no problem!
Comments are closed on this article
Caboose
March 07, 2008 at 11:59am
After enabling Emulate IE7 and restarting IE8, the Windows Update site loads (just have to re-enable a Windows Update plugin). I've noticed that there are quite a few pages that cause IE to crash and re-load all the tabs. I hope it's just a bug that will get fixed by the time this is released, I really like the fact that everything gets re-loaded and you don't loose what page you were on. I wonder if Emulate IE7 will have less crashes. I'll let you know.
Oh, and IE8 only scores 17/100 on the acid3 test, and 14/100 in IE7 Emulation mode.
-= I don't want to be dead, I want to be alive! Or... a cowboy! =-
Marcus_Soperus
March 07, 2008 at 8:49pm
I'm glad Emulate IE7 worked. Until MS starts rewriting its own web services for standards-based browsing, that feature's going to be critical.
And, thanks for giving IE8 the 'Acid' test. It's already a bit more compatible than IE7, but it had better get a lot closer to 100% before it's released in final.
------------------------------------------------
It's amazing how illogical a business built on binary logic can be.
Phosphorous
March 06, 2008 at 7:24am
Looks like IE7 except a few bells and whistles. I can sh1t on a plate and garnish it with roses, but in the end it's still a plate of sh1t.
Caboose
March 05, 2008 at 11:43pm
I've just installed the IE8 Beta 1 and so far so good. However, when I attempt to visit the Windows Update site, I'm greeted with a message indicating that I must be using IE5 or later. Seems that Microsoft needs to fix that...
-= I don't want to be dead, I want to be alive! Or... a cowboy! =-
Marcus_Soperus
March 06, 2008 at 1:53pm
In the release notes for IE8 Beta 1, Microsoft says that you must use the Emulate IE7 button to get certain MS services, such as Hotmail, to work. Have you tried clicking the Emulate IE7 button, logging off of IE8, and restarting it before running Windows Update? Please give this a try and let us know what happens. Thanks for visiting MaximumPC.com
------------------------------------------
It's amazing how illogical a business built on binary logic can be.
