How Was Microsoft’s Internet Explorer 8 Rated?

The latest version of Microsoft’s web browser, Internet Explorer 8 (IE8), has been released and the general consensus is that most people like the new features, although there is some grumbling.

Compared to IE7, this new version offers some handy features to simplify the web experience. These features include:

Improved Tabs - When you open a new tab from a page you are viewing, IE8 places the tabs together and color codes them to form a group so you can quickly find related pages.

Increased Reliability - If you open a page that is damaged or corrupted, IE8 only closes the affected tab rather than the entire browser.

Enhanced Security - IE8 includes new security features such as cross-scripting filters and anti-phishing functions that block known phishing sites as well as show you a web page’s main domain so you can feel confident you are on a legitimate site.

Accelerators - You can deliver information from another website directly to the current page you are on with a single click, such as highlighting an address then calling up a map to show the location without leaving the current page.

Web Slices - These deliver information to IE8 from a web page you are not currently visiting, letting you monitor things like stock prices without navigating to the financial page.

Private Browsing - In this mode, IE8 will automatically delete all cookies, passwords, temporary files, and history when you close the browser.

Compatibility View - Pages designed for older browser versions may not display properly on IE8, but it can automatically switch to a compatibility mode that will correct the problem.

Most reviewers like the additions and enhancements that streamline the viewing experience and are now favorably comparing IE8 to its competitor Firefox. Still, there are some detractors. Users are reporting that IE8 can be a memory hog with its linked tabs and that it seems slower in operation than IE7. For most, however, the enhanced features and improved Internet experience make IE8 a worthwhile upgrade.

How Was Microsoft’s Internet Explorer 8 Rated?