Aug 28 2008
WOW! IE 8 Beta 2 Is Fast And Sexy
Thank heavens! Did Microsoft finally address all our complaints with their flagship web browser? Something great just happened to me today when I updated my Internet Explorer 8 Beta 1 to Beta 2, the second preview version of the upcoming major release of the world’s most popular web browser. I’ve already known for a fact that Internet Explorer 8 is now more standards compliant than its predecessors, but I wasn’t awed with the performance of IE 8 Beta 1. Today’s release of IE 8 Beta 2, many things have changed — it came with new features, new speed, new look — and it made me forget Firefox for the moment.
…it came with new features, new speed, new look — and it made me forget Firefox for the moment.
“Wow!” With Emphasis
The last time I patronized Internet Explorer was when I was still using its version 5 and 6 web browser — and it was because I haven’t heard of Firefox yet. When Firefox came into the scene after that, bringing better security, faster speed and tabbed browsing, that made my Internet Explorer 7 unused (except for web development purposes where I make sure that my web pages would work well with both browsers). Internet Explorer 7 was the worst IE I’ve ever encountered and it came pre-installed with my Windows Vista. It’s slow and annoying — far behind the performance of recently released Mozilla Firefox 3, and even its version 2.
Out of curiosity amplified by the rumors I read from web development and web hosting forums, and due to the nature of my work as a web developer, I downloaded and installed Internet Explorer 8 Beta 1 two months ago. I wasn’t quite impressed to it actually as it performs similarly like Internet Explorer 7 — and it was meant to be that way. Microsoft purposively released IE8 Beta 1 for web developers who want to work on their coding and make them compatible with the full version release of IE8. As one of the developers who took advantage of IE8 Beta 1, I was happy to learn that the forthcoming Internet Explorer 8 is more compliant with web standards.
When I read from Yahoo’s tech news that Internet Explorer Beta 2 is already out, I didn’t hesitate to download and install it from its homepage. It took me two reboots on my Windows Vista: first after I uninstalled Internet Explorer Beta 1 and the second one is after I installed Internet Explorer Beta 2. It took quite a portion of my time but I was patient enough for it. When I return to my desktop, I immediately ran Windows Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 and surprise: it was able to awe me with emphasis (as in, “WOW!!!”) with its new look, its amazingly newfound rendering speed, and intelligent, whopping features. Looks like Microsoft has finally able to please me once again after all my complaints with its previous web browser versions.
IE8 Beta 2 Got The Muscles To Punch Firefox 3 Out Of The Ring
I love IE8 Beta 2’s new, clean looking tabs and completely revamped Autocomplete and Search features. Now, tab switching and web browsing is fast (even faster at times compared to Firefox 3, in fact). I was asking myself “Where did this browser got this speed? And why it wasn’t like this before?” Looks like this time, Microsoft really seriously developed this web browser to prevent any competitor from dethroning IE. And since they finally listened to people’s complaints (especially web developers), they made a very good move.
IE8 Beta 2 presents a couple of new features. A new feature called “InPrivate” lets you browse the Web without leaving any trace (no history, cookies, etc) — which is good for security and anonymous browsing (you might want to call this “porn mode” — lol ). Well, I will not try to convince you to trust Microsoft, but I think I finally do trust them because their new features just work.
IE 8 Beta 2 also features “Accelerator” which lets us discover new services; “Web Slices” which lets us slice a portion of a website so we can have up-to-date information even though we are not actually visiting that website; “SmartScreen Filter” for additional protection against deceptive and malicious websites and the Compatibility View which displays an image on the web browser’s address bar if the web page is meant for older browsers. This feature, and IE 8 Beta 2’s integrated Developer Tools really made my heart rejoice as a web developer. I’ve been looking such features before and I only found them in Firefox add-on feature. Now, Microsoft is dragging me back to their base.
…it was already able to please a long-time Microsoft Internet Explorer pessimist like me
Despite the fact that Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 is still beta, and it could still offer a lot more on its full release, it was already able to please a long-time Microsoft Internet Explorer pessimist like me. Firefox had already snatched my heart for a long time, but now with Microsoft’s Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2, I’m reassessing myself because I believe it now deserves love too, even from you.
Experience for yourself the latest preview version of Internet Explorer 8, and believe me it is one of the most satisfying Microsoft products I have ever known. Two thumbs up with pride. (Wow! I can’t believe I said that!)
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Really delighted to read your post… hope to hear more from you as you use the beta and have feedback.
Thank you so much for developing IE8 Beta 2, Dean. I think I’m inlove with Microsoft’s web browser again.
I will NEVER install anything Microsoft that has the word Beta attached to it, and if a browser needs to have my computer Reboot after it installs, that just tells me that it is tying itself into my computer a lot more than I wish it to. Especially when it’s something that’s going to be connected to an open internet connection.
That browser scares the crap out of me. I only use it for web developing, and that is it.
I’ll stick with FF3 and if that goes bad, then I’ll go Opera.
Well, that is what I thought too Macbros. But hey, after I installed it for fun, this new browser version really rocked the hell out of me. It is super good and I liked again Microsoft for making Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 very serious.
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I read Walt Mossberg’s article/review in the Wall Street Journal this morning and thought I’d give IE8 a try. I’ve been using Firefox for a few years now, but he was compelling.
Here’s the interesting part: after the download and install, there was no way for me to actually open the program. No desktop icon was installed, no menu link, nothing. I even went into the file listing and found, under IE8, iexplore.exe, which will not run under IE8?
No wonder I hate this company.
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