Following the previous post, I installed Internet Explorer 8 Beta 1. The first thing that was absolutely clear is that it is indeed a beta. Actually I would classify it more as an Alpha release. Here are the first things that it spat in my face. Soon after this post I will remove it and wait for a more decent release.
After a restart I was ready to try it out. First off I was surprised that it detected the other browsers I had installed on my system, Firefox and Safari for Windows. I didn't expect that, but as they stated, they aim for interoperability. That is definitely a step forward for Microsoft. After that it offered to import the bookmarks and feed subscriptions from these browsers. OK so far.
One huge surprise was that it detected the Firefox extensions I had installed and asked if I would like them imported as well. That almost made me faint. I said "Sure, go ahead". Afterwards I was asked if I want to enable the anti-phishing filter and a few other things and I was ready to go. After it started, I remembered that it's a beta version. One of those pesky notification bars kept popping up every time I accessed a page, telling me that my current security settings put my computer at risk. No matter what I did, it just didn't go away. It disappeared eventually after I restarted the browser. The overall look is similar, if not identical to IE7. Maybe there will be certain design changes in the final release. But that's not really important now.
I then went on to configure the browser to my own preferences. First thing I checked out was to see if the bookmarks were imported correctly and they were. They even handle favicon (favorites icon), although I think this was implemented in Internet Explorer 7. Then let's set the homepage. I use iGoogle because I like using one service for as many things as possible, like search engine, email, RSS reader and so Google works best for me. The developers said that this version of IE would be CSS standards compliant. I sure doesn't look like it when I access my homepage. From three columns I end up with two and an empty space where the third should be. I later found it under the first column. The widgets refuse to move around and the buttons just don't want to work. The Google Reader doesn't load the feeds and the tags (or folders). It too is placed as a widget on the front page. When I try adding a new tab, instead of the semi transparent layer and the centered dialog box, it get to see a blank page with a black sidebar where the dialog is placed.
I tried to write this post using Internet Explorer, but the buttons were "clickable" only in certain places and the post title input box wasn't visible. At first I thought that there is something wrong with Google, so I decided to try a different portal. Same thing: Netvibes.com shows a blank blue page and Pageflakes.com asks me to confirm my location by clicking a button. Which I can't. I eventually managed to enter the web site by hitting Enter to submit the location form. And things weren't any different here either. At least the widgets can be moved around to some extend, but it's terribly slow and it seems they have a mind of their own. Resizing the browser window threw everything around and the widgets started to overlap each other.
Seeing that I can't get anywhere I though about the Firefox extensions it offered to import. Maybe at least those would work properly. And I would have loved giving them a try and share my experience with you, but I didn't manage to find them. Oh well. At least one thing works properly. On the toolbar, there is one button that gives this release a rating of "not so useless". It's the "Emulate IE7" button. From what I've seen, it works perfectly. Well, you now what I mean, as perfect as IE7 can work. Of course I had to restart the browser, but at least now I could click buttons and move things around. This is the life!
Seeing that it's a Beta release, I didn't expect much from it. But it looks like Microsoft is heading the right way. Yet they're a long way from getting there. What more can I say, I eagerly await your next release. Let's just hope it will be working at least at 50% capability. This one just left a bitter taste in my mouth.
