Internet Explorer 8 Beta 1 announced at MIX08

Posted by:
Nick White
03:42 PM Wednesday
Mar 05, 2008
34 Comments

The Internet Explorer team hit an important milestone today and divulged as much at MIX08. IE's General Manager Dean Hachamovitch today announced the availability of IE8 Beta 1, downloadable for testing by all from here.

You can read more on IE8 at the IEBlog, where Dean explains eight specific advances comprised in IE8.

Soon Brandon will have a post up on the Windows Experience Blog talking about his experience using IE8 Beta 1 and what's new in it, so watch for that.

You can get the latest on MIX08 taking place this week in Las Vegas via MIX08 Online.

Comment

Tags: Windows Vista, Announcement, Featured News, IE8, Internet Explorer 8

Comments

Titan602

Posted on: March 05, 2008 at 4:22PM
I downloaded it and checked it out on the Acid2 test. Everything worked except the eyes.
Korn1699

Posted on: March 05, 2008 at 4:25PM
Would be nice if Vista SP1 were out because it won't install with the RC I have, and running without SP1 cause some of my hardware to not work correctly...
BlueIce

Posted on: March 05, 2008 at 6:48PM
While it did render the Acid 2 test correctly on my computer it failed horribly on the new Acid 3 test. http://www.webstandards.org/action/acid3/
rickman2k

Posted on: March 05, 2008 at 8:04PM
I tried to install it on Vista Home Premium, it wouldn't, it didn't like my SP1, so if it has to have SP1 why did they release it, SP1 hasn't been released yet ???

If they tell you IE8 BETA is out we should be able to get it
Brandon LeBlanc

Posted on: March 05, 2008 at 8:15PM
rickman2k, IE8 Beta 1 should install on PCs not running SP1. It did so for me here. IE8 Beta 1 will not install on beta versions of SP1 however. The download link to IE8 Beta 1 is provided above in Nick's post but here it is again as well:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/ie/ie8/default.mspx

For Beta Feedback on IE8 Beta 1 - please direct them to the IE Beta Newsgroups:

http://www.microsoft.com/communities/newsgroups/list/en-us/default.aspx?dg=microsoft.public.internetexplorer.beta&cat=en_us_2BAF8EC5-645C-4477-A380-0F1CF6C102F9&lang=en&cr=us

Thanks,

Brandon

Here is a list of supported OS's for IE8 Beta 1:

Windows Vista x64 and x86

Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) x64 and x86

Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2)

Windows XP Professional x64 Edition

Windows Server 2008 x64 and x86

Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2 (SP2) x64 and x86
newscientist2000

Posted on: March 06, 2008 at 12:18AM
Looks nice, Favorites bar looks interesting, I love my Links Toolbar, hopefully this latest incarnation will be an improvement.

The Activities services look like a great idea to.

Actually funny thing is that my wife has an old Anatomy CD with old Shockwave Content on it and only IE7 in Vista will play it properly, I installed Macromedia Shockwave 8.5 on XP with IE7 and the thing black screened on reboot (nice, no beeps, nada) until I went into Safemode and uninstalled Shockwave there, I had tried a System Restore first but that wouldnt fix my problem.

I've no idea why the Active content wouldnt work on XP, Macromedia or Adobe probably to blame! Anyway I guess thats why standards are important!

Good luck with IE8, I will try it out sometime soon, as it looks interesting.

Hopefully a History Button and Refresh Button can be easily added in IE8, I miss those from IE6! Funny thing is I use FireFox with an IE skin just for the History Button.
dovella

Posted on: March 06, 2008 at 1:52AM
Forum di riferimento Italiano qui

http://www.hwupgrade.it/forum/showthread.php?t=1694254
chakkaradeep

Posted on: March 06, 2008 at 7:04AM
Brandon, I have installed IE 8 Beta in my Vista SP1 Slipstream Install(final release) without any problems
The MAZZTer

Posted on: March 06, 2008 at 8:41AM
IE8 passes Acid2. There was a problem yesterday with the actual Acid2 test (it was failing on ALL browsers).
bham4ever

Posted on: March 06, 2008 at 4:41PM
As Brandon posted

Doesn't work with Windows Vista Service Pack 2 (SP2)

Guess they still have some catching up to do.
chakkaradeep

Posted on: March 06, 2008 at 5:14PM
Some of my friends and myself are running IE 8 Beta with SP1...i am confused now...
Brandon LeBlanc

Posted on: March 06, 2008 at 5:32PM
chakkaradeep, no need to be confused.

**IE8 Beta 1 works just fine on Windows Vista SP1**

I am running IE8 Beta 1 on both Windows Vista RTM and Windows Vista SP1 and both work just fine for the IE8 Beta.

bham4ever, I *never* said anything about any sort of "Windows Vista Service Pack 2". There is no such thing. IE8 Beta 1 works on Windows XP Service Pack 2 and SP1 for Windows Vista. Seee my above comment about supported OS's.

Again - let me repeat myself: IE8 Beta 1 will work for both Windows Vista RTM *and* Windows Vista SP1.

- Brandon
chakkaradeep

Posted on: March 06, 2008 at 8:24PM
Thanks Brandon :)
cfischer83

Posted on: March 06, 2008 at 11:59PM
I wanted to test it out so I downloaded it (Vista, no SP) and it seems to be too bad to continue to use. I understand it's beta, and that's not really my complaint. My complaint is that when I went back to microsoft.com to re-install IE7 I get a message that basically says 'ie7 already comes preinstalled with Vista which is currently your operating system'. Emulating IE7 does nothing either... is there a way to get IE7 back for now?
Brandon LeBlanc

Posted on: March 07, 2008 at 12:20AM
cfischer83, go to Control Panel and choose Uninstall Program and then under Tasks on the left-hand side choose Installed Updates. Internet Explorer 8 should be listed there. Uninstall it and IE7 should be back for you.

- Brandon
Naveen

Posted on: March 08, 2008 at 9:43PM
maps.google.com not working in IE 8 beta
windows vista ultimate...

Posted on: March 10, 2008 at 3:38AM
hey guys havent you notice that windows internet explorer 8 is in BETA which means its being tested so you can feedback on any issue so if your not sure about internet explorer 8 BETA internet explorer 7 works fine and its stable so use the one that is stable which is ie7 because BETA products can sometime miss your pc up because its being tested i hope this works and btw thanks microsoft for this little preview
Larkspur0318

Posted on: March 16, 2008 at 11:10AM
If Vista Search were a kitchen appliance, all product would have been recalled in a house-to-house search and Windows would be bankrupt from the liabibity suits.

Twice I have dragged files into a parent folder, watched the folder disappear, and then found the folder in the recyling bin. But first I had to spend days and hours researching and figuring out to use the "improved and intuitive" search function. THUMBS DOWN on Vista search. Can I please have my XP back?
Samuel4u

Posted on: March 18, 2008 at 6:32AM
Thanks Brandon. For this News. It was usefull.

http://www.iyogi.net/microsoftoperatingsystem.html
magnus150

Posted on: March 18, 2008 at 10:44PM
Wonderful choice setting the default browsing setting to standards compliant. That's great for us devs, now only if we can get everyone off IE6 and at least on to IE7...
Kellieei

Posted on: March 19, 2008 at 2:26PM
test
Daniel Kim

Posted on: March 21, 2008 at 5:37PM
no offense but i gotta admit that safari is the best browser in the world. I've tried IE8. It looks good but not much difference from IE7 except few new features like direct translations on words from translator.live.com.

I know as a fact that live translator's useless because i've been caught using translator by my french teacher who knew that i used it as soon as she read the first sentence.

Safari isn't hard to use when you know how to use IE.

Therefore use SAFARI!
paulmcp

Posted on: April 01, 2008 at 11:19AM
I've been using IE8 and so far I haven’t had any major problems, The only thing I can’t get to work is Sun Global Desktop!

But I do like the smart tag thing, Map with live maps is a useful thing!
vb-2008

Posted on: April 02, 2008 at 2:32PM
PingBack from http://beqiraj.net/post/2008/03/Internet-Explorer-8-download.aspx
Photo1921

Posted on: April 03, 2008 at 5:32PM
Disappointed, There has been more than enough complaints about the lack of customizing the tool bars, Links bar, menu bars address bar. I can not comprehend why Microsoft has still not addressed this issue. Very, very disappointed...
Brandon LeBlanc

Posted on: April 04, 2008 at 4:25AM
Photo1921, its just Beta 1. This release was intended for web developers mostly. Expect more consumer-related stuff later on.

- Brandon
D.T.T. REX IMPERATOR

Posted on: April 06, 2008 at 12:42AM
So is it any good?
Photo1921

Posted on: April 06, 2008 at 12:19PM
Brandon, this is just my opinion. But that's my point it is a beta,it's not an alpha, it's almost ready for RTM. This is also not a new complaint. This was an issue for many in the beta of 7, it was an issue in the beta of Vista, "If memory serves me correct" in early 2004 Vista/Longhorn ver 4074, when Microsoft started this new UI/look/feel. There were complaints about it back then. As a major update I think it should have been addressed by now. Four years is an long time to wait for a resolution, It just seems that Microsoft has turned a def ear on this issue. I don't believe they intend to address this issue, and that frustrates me. That is why I, stated, disappointing, very, very disappointing.
Brandon LeBlanc

Posted on: April 07, 2008 at 4:26AM
Photo1921, I understand what you're saying but the UI in Longhorn Build 4074 was pretty different than the UI that ultimately shipped with Windows Vista. A lot of feedback was taken in between the early Longhorn builds into Windows Vista.

IE8 Beta 1 was intended to showcase developer features such as standards etc not any new UI.

And to say IE8 Beta 1 is "almost ready for RTM" is not a very accurate statement. It is no where near ready for RTM. It is very much in beta.

Hopefully some of your disappointment goes away by Beta 2.

- Brandon
hklm

Posted on: April 09, 2008 at 8:31AM
Nick-- you've contributed mightily on this blog--and although I try to follow MSFT software closely at millions of places, I was able to learn about features, events, and developments from you and Brandon here in a way I wouldn't have been able to.

I'm sure you put in a lot of time behind the scenes running down these things from all over MSFT.

I wish you all the best in your new venture, and hope that you will set up a blog and let us know what you're doing soon.

I enjoyed meeting you on your bus tour.

Best of luck.
Tokentiger

Posted on: April 26, 2008 at 8:44AM
IE 8 with my vista home premium would not display java controls on many sites properly. I'd get multiple images of the controls all over the screen. I went to updates and removed IE 8 now it's fine. I even removed the latest java update first but it was an IE 8 issue.
Nish Vamadevan

Posted on: May 10, 2008 at 3:09AM
It is a beta release and it's IE, and there’s a long way to go...

Daniel Kim, No browser is better than another. It's all personal preference.
Photo1921

Posted on: May 11, 2008 at 3:08PM
Brandon according to an interview with Dean Hachamovitch, he states "But the key is also, we're not saying that there's going to be huge, landmark changes in the UI either, obviously we want to have continuity with new functionality as well. So we don't want to shock out users with a whole bunch of changes." Dean, you are a little out of the loop, the UI on 7 shocked people, there was little the continuity with IE6? If only minor changes come to 8 it will be as unusable as 7 and it will still shock people. The UI is ugly, it's not user friendly In IE6 you could combined all the tool bars in to one in IE 6 you could move the left arrow to the right side of the address bar if you so desired. We lost that in 7, 8, and in Vista. Dean I really wish I could understand the logic behind Microsoft decision on degrading this aspic of the UI, it’s not an improvement we lost functionality. It's sad it really is. Dean it's choice, don't chose for me let me have the choice that we us to have. Is it REALLY that difficult to do, is that too much to ask for?????