IE8 sucks

Ed Oscuro · Post by **Ed Oscuro** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 1:56 am

I installed it anyway because it updates a lot of stuff throughout XP (Vista not so much), and that's worthwhile whenever I load up Windows Update. Actually, I was anticipating it for a long time, and now I imagine I know why they didn't just kick it out the door last year.

But if I was going to try to use it as my standard browser...

The actual user interface is piss poor, as bad as IE7 was. Why are the "command" buttons (i.e. Home and Relaod) either taking up a whole horizontal section of screen real estate, or (by default) sent off to the right side of the screen? It supposedly lets you pull the tabs around, but it refuses to move them where they need to go.

Of course, the URL input box is still just underneath the title bar, so it's farther from the actual webpage where you're likely to have your cursor. I believe they may have been trying to make use of the unlimited vertical dimension of the top of the frame; sorry to say that this is still wasted on the title bar and so there's no reason to have shuffled it around that I can see. I use the URL entry box more than I do the File menu.

Why does the current tab LITERALLY FREEZE UP when I'm opening a new (BLANK!) tab (for that matter, I need to figure out how to make a blank tab actually be blank and stop it loading "About:Tabs")?

There's an addle-brained "import favorites and settings" thing which has a checkbox only for Firefox. How about using the old IE7 settings dummy? On my Vista machine, where I have to turn off checking for server certificate revocation (in IE, so I can get onto a campus network), I found myself not being able to get back online until I fixed that setting which shouldn't have been changed in the first place.

Oh hey, apparently IE8 passes standards tests like Acid2. That's great, because it doesn't pass my litmus test for not being a pile of junk.

IE8: The browser that brings single-tasking to life (TM)

Bottom line:

IE8 sucks but you'd better get it anyway (unless you're running Open Sores softwarez, you lucky dog!)

iatneH · Post by **iatneH** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 2:21 am

When you get updates to install, isn't there the option to do custom install instead of express install?

I opted not to install IE7, even. Just sticking to good ol' Opera, even though 40% of the internet hates it.

Nice gif BTW.

Udderdude · Post by **Udderdude** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 2:28 am

I had a feeling it would be rushed, buggy crap. IE 7 isn't crap (aside from the lolsecurityholes), IE 8 sounds like the interface sucks as well.

UnscathedFlyingObject · Sun Mar 22, 2009 2:28 am

I don't use IE, but it's around for the odd page that requires me to use IE. Adblock Plus and Rikaichan make Firefox pure win.

Ed Oscuro · Post by **Ed Oscuro** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 2:37 am

Just to reiterate: If you have Windows, it's stupid not to install IE8, especially if you're using the pre-Vista Windows Update that uses IE.

What would we do without Netscape, eh?

I've not run into any pages besides Windows Update that I have to use IE for, but the standards mode should let that work well.

Jockel · Post by **Jockel** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 9:06 am

I'm pretty happy with Firefox on Linux.
Occasionally i pop out Opera.

null1024 · Post by **null1024** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 2:53 pm

And this is why I use Chrome. If it freezes up, just switch tabs, open up Chrome's process browser, and kill the dead tab.

tl;dr [WTF?]: Chrome > IE8.

I haven't been on a site that *needs* IE in about 2 years. Not even Windows Update.

PS: Chrome is faster than FF.

captpain · Post by **captpain** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 3:09 pm

Just use Firefox.

Ganelon · Post by **Ganelon** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 7:51 pm

Chrome beta is faster than everything else right now. But it still doesn't have the neat text-saving that Firefox offers.

jpj · Post by **jpj** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 7:55 pm

when you say browser, you mean the thing that opens when i double click the blue "e" symbol on the desktop..?

moozooh · Post by **moozooh** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 8:46 pm

Haha, nice usage of Uniracers' cursor. :)

Cthulhu · Post by **Cthulhu** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 9:32 pm

I can't say I was expecting much out of IE8, but it got surprisingly positive "professional" press reviews. Sounds like it's got major issues though.

If Chrome ever actually gets around to having a real plugin architecture I might look into it. Same with Safari (disclaimer: I'm a Mac guy, so I have Safari around regardless). Until they do, however, it's Firefox + AdBlock all the way for me. I'm willing to deal with the startup delay in exchange for plugins.

Ed Oscuro · Post by **Ed Oscuro** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 10:27 pm

Mac users shouldn't have to worry about IE because it's WINDOWS Internet Exploder now (apparently has been for a while).

Cthulhu · Post by **Cthulhu** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 11:12 pm

Ed Oscuro wrote:Mac users shouldn't have to worry about IE because it's WINDOWS Internet Exploder now (apparently has been for a while).

This is true; the Mac version of IE didn't last long and was cancelled like 5 years ago now.

Sadly enough, one of my computer science professors was -still- using it about a year ago, and you think she'd have known better.

Damocles · Post by **Damocles** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 12:18 am

I just switched over from IE to Firefox. Considering I was still running an IE before tabs, it's about time for a change. My big problem with Microsoft these days is that all apps are huge, stylized, and contain far too much stuff I have no use for. I run XP in Classic mode with all animations/transitions/etc. disabled. I don't give a crap about program integration or an "inclusive media experience". Give me a stripped-down program, preferably one which doesn't have an install.

Sony does this crap, too. The XMB on the PSP is utterly pointless. Having a tree for a camera, music, and video only clutters up what is already a stupid interface.

Also, any idea how to make Firefox less jerky when scrolling? The "Smooth Scrolling" option doesn't do much.

GaijinPunch · Post by **GaijinPunch** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 12:45 am

So did IE1-7.

null1024 · Post by **null1024** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 12:46 am

Cthulhu wrote: If Chrome ever actually gets around to having a real plugin architecture I might look into it. Same with Safari (disclaimer: I'm a Mac guy, so I have Safari around regardless). Until they do, however, it's Firefox + AdBlock all the way for me. I'm willing to deal with the startup delay in exchange for plugins.

I actually was going to be in that crowd of not using Chrome because of the lack of plugins, but I decided to switch, namely since after 4 months of browsing on a crappy Mac with 10.1 on it and Netscape , I realized that I could live without that stuff. I just wanted speed after that ordeal.

Cthulhu · Post by **Cthulhu** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 3:04 am

Damocles wrote:Also, any idea how to make Firefox less jerky when scrolling? The "Smooth Scrolling" option doesn't do much.

Are you running Firefox 3.x? If so, how new is your machine? You might think a web browser doesn't take that much horsepower, but sadly, the newer ones kinda do...

Zeether · Post by **Zeether** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 2:08 pm

Fuck IE and its shitty attempts at being Firefox.

Jockel · Post by **Jockel** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 4:08 pm

Ganelon wrote:Chrome beta transfers your personal data and surfing habits faster than everything else right now.

Have fun with your spyware, good sir.

D · Post by D » Mon Mar 23, 2009 4:28 pm

IE7 sucks. It has filtering like a bad arcade port.
I use IE6 which does not have filtering, which sucks less than IE7.
I suspect IE8 has even worst filtering
You should really do a comparison to see that I am not crazy.

LaserGun · Post by **LaserGun** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 4:28 pm

Never ever install anything Google related onto your PC unless you want them gathering some kind of data about you.

Also, any idea how to make Firefox less jerky when scrolling? The "Smooth Scrolling" option doesn't do much.

Get the 'Yet Another Smooth Scrolling' add-on.

Ed Oscuro · Post by **Ed Oscuro** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 6:24 pm

LaserGun wrote:Never ever use Google searches unless you want them gathering some kind of data about you.

This is also accurate!

D wrote:I suspect IE8 has even worst filtering

Yes and no; there's new and improved "phone-home" filtering, but during setup the decision to enable it is given its own whole screen. I would actually recommend it be turned on, although it's no substitute for good surfing habits and MVPS.org's hosts.txt (for example).

It's basically the equivalent of Google searches throwing up the "reported attack site" boogeyman at you, except integrated into the browser instead of a website. Here's what Microsoft had to say about the "phone home" feature and their policy about IPs:

http://www.computerworld.com/action/art ... Id=9114595

Jockel · Post by **Jockel** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 6:51 pm

Ed Oscuro wrote:
LaserGun wrote:Never ever use Google searches unless you want them gathering some kind of data about you.
This is also accurate!

Do you happen to have a better alternative? :/
Although i hate google's privacy policies, i still use it because of the massive search results.

LaserGun · Post by **LaserGun** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 6:56 pm

The only other decent search alternative that doesn't collect data about you that I know of is this: http://us2.ixquick.com/

They have a privacy statement you can read that says they do not collect any data from your searches.

Google is fine I guess, if you make sure to delete their cookies. Just don't go searching for HORSE CUNT every other minute of the day (it's alright if it's legal in your country I guess lol).

Jockel · Post by **Jockel** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 7:00 pm

whaaat i can't search child pr0n qwerty r@ygold with google? :<<<<

mr_m0nks · Post by **mr_m0nks** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 8:01 pm

It really makes me laugh when people complain about google and co. mining their data.

It's how the internet pays for itself. Get over it!

LaserGun · Post by **LaserGun** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 8:40 pm

Did you even read the privacy statement before signing up to blogspot? You are now property of Google

Ed Oscuro · Post by **Ed Oscuro** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 11:27 pm

Jockel wrote:
Ed Oscuro wrote:
LaserGun wrote:Never ever use Google searches unless you want them gathering some kind of data about you.
This is also accurate!
Do you happen to have a better alternative? :/

Nope, just don't conduct illegal business through it, and if they want to stick their noses into your business laugh at it, I guess.

mr_m0nks · Post by **mr_m0nks** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 8:56 am

LaserGun wrote:Did you even read the privacy statement before signing up to blogspot? You are now property of Google

Funnily enough no I didn't, but I did read it about 2 weeks ago (along with the main Google privacy information) due to a University assignment on internet privacy.

Nothing in there I wouldn't expect, believe me I was expecting a whole lot worse after looking at some T&C's in a lecture.

And trust me, neither myself nor the content of my blog is worth owning