Microsoft to release IE8 RC1 next week

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Microsoft is currently readying the release of Internet Explorer 8 RC1 for early next week, company sources indicate.

In a blog posting by Microsoft's Frank Olivier, the UX and Compatibility program manager confirms "we're about to release" IE8 RC1. Insiders indicate it might be worth penning Monday 26th January in your calendar as the date for IE8 RC1.

IE8 RC1 will not install on the current Windows 7 beta build (7000) and it's rumored that Microsoft could be readying some new beta bits for connect testers in the coming weeks. The RC1 build will initially be offered to Windows XP and Windows Vista operating systems.

IE8 introduces several new and updated features for Internet users, for a full overview of the features included in Windows 7 IE8 checkout our own IE8 review.

In related news, Tim Schreck, Media Center program manager, posted on our forums regarding a newly identified Windows 7 bug. Systems running in locales that use in-band scheduling –DVB-T in the United Kingdom and New Zealand are causing multiple crashes in mcGlidHost resulting in Windows Error Reporting (WER) attempting to upload the crash information multiple times. In some cases this is eating up lots of bandwidth and increasing router activity. Schreck has posted a temporary workaround and confirms Microsoft is "working on releasing a fix as quickly as possible".

#1 Jugalator on 22 Jan 2009 - 08:51

Horray!

Heh, I use Firefox myself, but this browser is a milestone for Microsoft, as the first browser in years from them that's worth its salt. The first browser where they're at least trying to make a serious effort to help it catch up in web standards compliance, and even trying to improve its speed. It's not there yet, but it's a huge improvement over IE 7 at least, and I'm sure many web devs around the world are hoping the IE users will jump to this one ASAP.

(1 reply) #2 leesmithg on 22 Jan 2009 - 09:16

I hope my bank don't take an age to allow me to use IE 8 for online banking.

#2.1 Magallanes on 22 Jan 2009 - 14:49

My experience :

IE8 feature a "brand new mode" and a "compatibility mode", at first sign the compatibility mode is almost the same as to run in internet explorer 7, instead the ie8 mode is clearly broken and unstable, at least for some webpages that i tested.

(1 reply) #3 Athernar on 22 Jan 2009 - 11:23

Would this be the build that leaked, 18343?

If so, personally I would recommend sticking with beta 2 for now.

#3.1 waruikoohii on 22 Jan 2009 - 16:30

Athernar said,

18343 is old. The currently available build is a little newer.

(5 replies) #4 mocax on 22 Jan 2009 - 12:04

for some strange reasons, I've been using IE8 way more than FF3, for regular web browsing and post count whoring in forums.....

FF3 is still around as a development platform for me, thanks to firebug....

#4.1 ThaCrip on 22 Jan 2009 - 12:39

i know this will sound 'fanboy' like but ill say it anyways

....

IE cant hold a candle to Firefox.

i been using Firefox as my main browser since a little prior to it's v1.0 release and have not looked back and some of that is due to extensions (Adblock plus/tab scroller/noscript)

#4.2 guruparan on 22 Jan 2009 - 13:34

ThaCrip said,

hmm...i am not a fan boy...but i use IE8 as my main browser, also use firefox too...

preference vary from person to person

#4.3 Faisal Islam on 22 Jan 2009 - 16:08

i agree with you.

#4.4 waruikoohii on 22 Jan 2009 - 16:33

I wouldn't word it quite as strongly as "Can't hold a candle to Firefox".

I use IE8 as my every day browser, and I haven't felt a desire to switch to Firefox for Adblock Plus and spellcheck since IE7Pro fills that void.

In addition, the added security in IE8 (and IE7) makes it a safer platform than Firefox. Mozilla, stop sitting on your hands and implement Protected Mode. Google did it, why can't you?

#4.5 Jugalator on 22 Jan 2009 - 17:29

Firefox 3.1 and its speed from the Javascript engine update should not be underestimated though.

It feels like running Chrome with extension support, and cross-platform too. At this point, the Firefox 3.1 Beta 2, already quite stable, is the top browser out there to me.

#5 thenonhacker on 22 Jan 2009 - 12:10

I am a Firefox user too, and here's to hoping that developing web pages for both IE and Firefox will become more predictable.

(1 reply) #6 x-byte on 22 Jan 2009 - 14:22

Good news. The version in Windows 7 is awfully unstable and has bad rendering.

#6.1 Beastage on 23 Jan 2009 - 14:20

I find the opposite, much better than the beta 2 on vista and in general good performing.

(3 replies) #7 SolwayUK on 22 Jan 2009 - 17:01

i wonder if IE8 RC1 will get more than 12 score on acid 3.. well if its gets 13 its one step closers lol

but sry, unless ie8 gets adblock or noscript features like ff, then i'll only use it for the crap webpages that are only designed to IE standards, and not the rest of the actual web standards

#7.1 Jugalator on 22 Jan 2009 - 17:32

SolwayUK said,

I also prefer Firefox, but this deal about standards support is often exaggerated when it comes to end user usage. I can understand webmasters being annoyed by IE holding them back. But to an end user, it matters far less, as web sites are generally designed for the weakest link at some decent market share. In this case IE.

There are actually few places other than Wikipedia (for e.g. SVG support) where I can say the improved standards support from Firefox actually matters to me.

So the pressure is on IE on improving there, sure, but not much from a competitive perspective against Firefox/Safari/Opera, but to let web developers move on.

#7.2 Roger2 on 22 Jan 2009 - 18:54

but sry, unless ie8 gets adblock or noscript features like ff, then i'll only use it for the crap webpages that are only designed to IE standards, and not the rest of the actual web standards

Adblock + alot more for IE http://www.ie7pro.com/

#7.3 themailnurse on 24 Jan 2009 - 18:40

you do realize nobody gives a sh*t about standards right? all you need to make sure that it displays on the browser that everyone uses, Internet Explorer.

(1 reply) #8 neoraptor on 22 Jan 2009 - 21:41

IE8 has some serious problems (again) with web standards and javascript. I don't know what are they doing. Activities, webslices, accelerators all are marketing tricks.

#8.1 C_Guy on 23 Jan 2009 - 23:16

Yup, they are out to get you, get your tinfoil hat before you fall for their marketing and upgrade to a free browser! Oh no!

#9 Erikas on 23 Jan 2009 - 06:45

I like ie8 and use it a lot on my windows 7, but ad blocking wise, ie7pro is not comparable to adblock plus and noscript together on FF. If I use online banking etc. I revert to FF.
Well anyway, that is just my humble opinion

(3 replies) #10 kev_gordon on 23 Jan 2009 - 10:39

IE8 still doesnt feel as quick to bring up web pages as Firefox. I'm not a browser fanboi, I will use which ever is faster, so I'll be sticking to FF for the moment. But it's good to see IE making some progress. Maybe IE9 will make me switch.

Now if only FF supported Windows 7 properly to show each tab that is open in the new taskbar thumbnails (like IE8 does).... but I suppose that will come. Are ya listening Mozilla?

#10.1 neoraptor on 23 Jan 2009 - 11:14

If you only need speedy browser use google chrome or safari or opera

#10.2 Ogden2k on 23 Jan 2009 - 20:18

neoraptor said,

Why don't you stop trolling? What are the serious problems? Do you have a specific problem or just that you have something against Microsoft?

#10.3 GP007 on 25 Jan 2009 - 11:34

You might wanna look at the add-on manager to see what might be slowing down IE. It lists the times for things to load etc, I turned off some things I never used that took too much time and IE8b2 got a bit faster for me.

The other problem now is that I'm on a pretty old PC so this is probably as fast as it'll get I think.

I'll know for sure once RC1 is out.

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