I love how people whine about free stuff... yes IE does suck.. but it's worth every penny you paid for it. Firefox is an alternative that is the same price, and is slightly better at a few things, and slightly suckier at a few things. I don't bother using any others.... i don't need to use 3 web browser.. I use IE as a primary.. and when it doesn't work with something I use Firefox, and hope it works.. if it doesn't then the content provider doesn't want me using thier website bad enough..

two words:

Fire

Fox

Reading some of these posts, I decided to try the newest Opera and it's killer, I really like it. Very fast, intuitive controls, great image. If you don't use it, try it. I've tried it off and on over the years, the last time about a year ago and I found it so-so. But this version is terrific.This may become my primary browser. No problems loading pages at all. Thanks to all who suggested it.

IE8 New features:

1.) Attracts virus better
2.) Spyware downloads are now faster
3.) Trojans are now highly undetectable
4.) Plus added unstability bonus

Who cares?

Browser wars was so 1990s...........

Web standards are uniformed and consistent that being a web developer is child's play. Oh wait.

I ran the Acid3 test on Opera 9.51 (9.52 is out) and got 83/100
Internet Explorer 8 got 12/100 in normal mode and 6/100 in compatibility mode.
Firefox gets 71/100

edit: the score for IE8 should have been 21 not 12. I ran the test twice last night and didn't get a popup to run an active x control. Today I got the popup and when I let it run IE scored 21.

Until I see "awesome bar" functionality in IE, I won't be switching anytime soon.

#1, IE is already a slow bloated piece of crap. Try Opera sometime.

If they ever fix that abortion they call a user interface, I might reconsider Opera.

Yesterday afternoon, a blogger at Microsoft-Watch put up a post asking readers whether they cared about Internet Explorer 8. That pretty much highlights the disinterest surrounding Microsoft's upcoming browser. Lack of excitement or not, though, Microsoft has just released the second IE8 beta.

OK, now I think I can at long last understand the way in which you evaluate pretty much anything regarding Microsoft products...;)

In this case, a blogger at "Microsoft Watch," a site noted universally on the Internet for its kind and gracious and enthusiastic attitude about Microsoft in all things, writes "a post" and the reception of that one, single post suffices to "highlight" the "disinterest" that presumably everyone has concerning Beta 2 of Microsoft's next version of its browser.

At last I can see why you might perennially keep writing to the effect that "nobody's using Vista" and that "everybody" deems it a "failure," etc. No doubt, a blogger somewhere said that and somebody wrote that he agreed, right? Heh...;) Yea, that pretty much proves it, I guess.

But back to browsers...it's been a long while since I can recall beta browser software exciting anybody, frankly. Regardless of browser, there just aren't that many people chilled and thrilled by the many beta versions of them that emerge prior to the final release version of the software going out. Browsers in general, it strikes me, really aren't all that "thrilling" or "exciting" to begin with, but I suppose that's a matter of opinion, no doubt. But I'd have to say in every case that I can think of, beta software is rarely "exciting" for most people.

I use both IE7 and FF3 every single day, and one reason I do is because--*gasp*--installing and running FF3 doesn't prevent me from installing and running IE7, or vice-versa. I also use both because I find that each has particular uses that are the superior of the other, from time to time, and so I use IE7 for some things and FF3 for others.

What a liberating concept it must be to discover that every single person using a browser can run as many of them as he'd like without fear that installing one will uninstall the others. That's pretty exciting, right?...;)

I'll stick to Opera kthnxbi

Although I am a Linux/Firefox user, as someone who does web development, this is extremely exciting, and I can't wait for IE8 users to replace IE7 users. IE8 may not do really cool stuff other browsers can do like SVG Animation, but at least it will finally render most basic web pages properly (decent CSS 2.1 support). The sites I build are simple enough that I shouldn't have to constantly bash my head against the wall at how stunned IE is.

I was happier with FF3.0's performance increase over any feature. The JS bump should be great to.

I think that's where IE needs to focus. Slow ass POS.

"Suggested Sites" bookmark for users who don't know where they want to go today,

i like the reference to the old 90s microsoft tag line.

could anyone with this beta tell me how well it does on acid 3?

#8:
<i>IE8 may not do really cool stuff other browsers can do like SVG Animation, but at least it will finally render most basic web pages properly (decent CSS 2.1 support).</i>

We don't know that yet. That's what MS *claims* they're going to do, but we've heard that many times before (just look at IE7 for the most recent example). Don't believe it until you see it.

yeah, thats gonna be another big N O for me.

I am using it now. First impression: very fast. As fast as Firefox 3.

In a choice between fancy new features vs. speed and reliability I will always choose speed and reliability. I like IE7's clean functional look but I turn off features such as phishing filter for speed and reliability. Lets hope IE8 does not deviate from Microsoft's design philosophy and become a slow bloated piece of crap. Leave all the fancy features for the competition.