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Internet Explorer 8 Release Candidate Now Available

Jan. 26, 2009 Paul Thurrott | Paul Thurrott's Supersite for Windows

The IE Blog reports on the release of IE 8 RC1:

We're excited to make the IE8 Release Candidate available today for public download today in 25 languages for Windows Vista, Windows XP, and Windows Server customers. You can find it at http://www.microsoft.com/ie8. Please download it now and try it out. We welcome your feedback!

What’s New

The team will post more about all changes between Beta 2 and RC. In brief:

  • Platform Complete. The technical community should expect the final IE8 release to behave as the Release Candidate does. The IE8 product is effectively complete and done. We’ll post separately about the thousands of additional test cases we’re contributing to the W3C. We've listened very carefully to feedback from the betas. With the Release Candidate, we’re listening carefully for critical issues.
  • Reliability, Performance, and Compatibility improvements. We’ve studied the telemetry feedback about the browser's underlying quality and addressed many issues.
  • Security. We’ve worked closely with people in the security community to enable consumer-ready clickjacking protection. Sites can now protect themselves and their users from clickjacking attacks “out of the box,” without impacting compatibility or requiring browser add-ons. We also made some changes to InPrivate based on feedback from customers and partners.

We also made some changes to the user experience based on feedback. For example, based on data about how people use actually it, we made fitting more items on the Favorites bar easier. (Note that the IE8 Release Candidate is for Windows Vista, XP, and Server only; Windows 7 users will get an updated IE8 with the next update of Windows 7. Also, the Release Candidate of the Internet Explorer Administration Kit is available for download now.)

I’ve been working with IE 8 RC1 and various pre-RC1 IE 8 builds for some time now and I have to say, the experience has been largely positive. My review of IE 8 RC1 will be up shortly. Stay tuned.

Discuss this Article 58

Delmont
on Jan 26, 2009
I will like it when the Microsoft Live Spaces works with IE8 100%. If I move a module, it does not save in IE8. But if I go view the page after I've moved a module in FF, the page reflects my move. In IE8, I can only get the Weather Module to display Seattle. I add my home town. Save. No go, IE8 still shows Seattle. yet if I view with FF or even IE7, my Space page shows me the Weather module displaying my hometown. I go back to IE8 and the modules are back in their old locations and the Weather module is back to displaying SEattle only. Explain this this one to me. Come on Microsoft. IE8 now works even with Facebook!
rlcronin
on Jan 26, 2009
I'm having trouble figuring out why I'd care about this. I dropped IE a long time ago over security concerns and IE7's radical UI changes was the final nail in the coffin. Is there something compelling about IE8 that would make me want to consider switching back from FF?
chrishedlund
on Jan 26, 2009
I thought RC1 wouldn't install on the Windows 7 beta
Delmont
on Jan 26, 2009
Chris, It does nto install on Win7.
techfan
on Jan 26, 2009
Hurrah! I can't wait to download IE8 RC 1 :-) I know it's "cool" to use Firefox but I like IE. It does everything I need my Web browser to do. I use IE not because it's the default browser in Windows (after all, I can download Firefox or Chrome) but I use IE because I like it (damn it!) Looking forward to your review Paul.
Ocean
on Jan 26, 2009
More petfood for my fox to gobble up.
kenmcnamee
on Jan 26, 2009
The reason it doesn't install on Windows 7 is that the installer requires you first uninstall the previous pre-RTM version of IE8 that is on the system. Since Windows 7 gives you no ability to uninstall the version of IE8 that it comes with, you get a dialog box that says, "A previous build of Internet Explorer 8 is already installed on your computer. You must remove it before installing the latest version of Internet Explorer 8."
animositysomina
on Jan 26, 2009
Ocean, thanks a lot for that wonderful link to Songsmith remixes, especially the bottom one with gangsta rap guys. I cried, literally.
shark47
on Jan 26, 2009
"Ocean, thanks a lot for that wonderful link to Songsmith remixes, especially the bottom one with gangsta rap guys. I cried, literally." Wow! OT response to an OT response post to a totally OT post from Ocean. I didn't think it sounded all that bad, actually, but to each is his/her own. I see potential for this product among teenagers - probably not like ocean or robertsjoe, but the less tech-inclined ones. On topic, IE8 feels solid on Windows 7. For some reason, the beta was slow on Vista. I'd like to see how this RC performs.
animositysomina
on Jan 26, 2009
Sorry shark, but Paul has locked that thread with Ocean's posts, so I couldn't say thanks to Ocean there. Paul is to blame, not me :-) And no, I haven't said Songsmith is bad or something, I just found those remixes really really hilarious, especiall the rap one. And Ocean, robertsjoe & others post here offtopic stuff all the time, we just can't find appropriate thread to reply to them, so...
shark47
on Jan 26, 2009
"And no, I haven't said Songsmith is bad or something, I just found those remixes really really hilarious, especiall the rap one." I thought the Sgt. Pepper one was the worst - the music didn't seem in sync with the vocals. The others were all right. Like I said, it might be aimed at kids and is definitely no Garage Band competitor. And no, I wasn't blaming you for anything. I simply made a remark about how OT my post was. :-)
DavidR91
on Jan 26, 2009
"I'm talking about overt new features like Accelerators, Web Slices, and Visual Search Suggestions, of course, but also more subtle improvements like the pervasive security (InPrivate, SmartScreen Filter, and so on), stability improvements (tab isolation, crash recovery)," Pretty much all of these features are implemented by other browsers: None of them have every single feature at once, but still, these are hardly 'innovative'
Waethorn
on Jan 26, 2009
"I use IE because I like it" Me too. File/Edit/View menus are so 90's....
Waethorn
on Jan 26, 2009
"I thought the Sgt. Pepper one was the worst - the music didn't seem in sync with the vocals. The others were all right." The reggae Roxanne was classic. It's interesting that the program chose the chords that it did. It matches the melody, in so far as it sounds "harmonically-correct" even if it is waaay off from the original. I could see some Jamaican hotel lounge singer doing that as an act. The techno Wonderwall could be worse too. I've heard some pretty brutal dance remixes that completely screw up the chords royally, but the Songsmith demo actually isn't that bad. I'd like to see someone actually use this as a chord analysis program and bring MIDI data into something like Reason or Cakewalk. In all honesty, I've never heard that Doobie Bros song "Long Train Runnin" either, so it's actually kinda believable. I kinda wish they'd left the harmonica part in just to see how the program reacts to it.
Waethorn
on Jan 26, 2009
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=2ScVTBg2vxk Funny! NSFW if your "___ going doyng-doyng-doyng" at your workplace.... :P
techfan
on Jan 26, 2009
@Waethorn: When Microsoft removed the Menu bar, I complained a lot -- didn't like it -- but now I hardly ever use the Menu bar. Almost all options are available through right-click options. I do miss the two-click action when creating a Web shortcut on the desktop (it takes 3 clicks now). Hey, Paul, are we going to be able to comment on your reviews? I think you mentioned something about it on a recent WW netcast. You wrote: "Microsoft isn't getting enough credit for really innovating in the browser space..." I have seen numerous reviews of Chrome that mention how it handles multiple instances/tabs and what it does when one tab crashes and the reviewer never mentions that this was an IE8 first!
shark47
on Jan 26, 2009
Wae, that was a good one. :) Songsmith isn't bad, but I can see these things getting better and better. Maybe we won't need music composers in the future.
Ocean
on Jan 26, 2009
>>Ocean, thanks a lot for that wonderful link to Songsmith remixes, especially the bottom one with gangsta rap guys. I cried, literally.<< You're welcome. Adding value to the SuperSite everyday since 20xx.
Ocean
on Jan 26, 2009
Apple is now allowing 3rd party web browsers in the App store. Paul, who was in a hurry to make us aware that Apple wasn't, sure doesn't seem to be in a hurry to tell us that they now are. http://www.macworld.com/article/138409/2009/01/iphonebrowsers.html
johnbaxter
on Jan 26, 2009
The early worms may have gotten the bird with this release, as the early comments on the blog at Microsoft are that links point to IE 8 beta 2 not RC1. The links seem right now. RC1's "about" window as I got it just now on 32-bit Vista claims to be "Update Versions: Release Candidate 1" and to be 8.0.6001.18732
robertsjoe
on Jan 26, 2009
And it runs JavaScript almost half as slow as Firefox. IE is not worth the trouble. Never has been.
robertsjoe
on Jan 26, 2009
"Apple is now allowing 3rd party web browsers in the App store. Paul, who was in a hurry to make us aware that Apple wasn't, sure doesn't seem to be in a hurry to tell us that they now are." Of course he wouldn't. The point of this blog is to post negative FUD about Apple and others. And only positive Microsoft posts.
robertsjoe
on Jan 26, 2009
@waethorn: "Virtual PC is smaller, faster to install, and free. " Get a clue. VMWare Server is free. VMWare is a superior product too. Plus the benefit of being able to take the same VM and run it on OS X, Windows or Linux (on the latter two for free).
shark47
on Jan 26, 2009
"You're welcome. Adding value to the SuperSite everyday since 20xx." Yes, you and robertsjoe, both. This blog is being run over by trolls.
robertsjoe
on Jan 26, 2009
So much for Microsoft's "innovative" big-ass coffee table. http://www.macrumors.com/2009/01/26/apple-awarded-iphone-and-multi-touch...
robertsjoe
on Jan 26, 2009
@shark47: You must admit (and thankful) that I and a few others bring the Windows in to the SuperSite for Windows. Both unbiased and truthful reporting.
subzerohitman721
on Jan 26, 2009
In my opinion, I think Microsoft is rushing IE 8 to release. With the launch of the Chrome browser, we saw some improvements that should have been taken up as a challenge. However, Microsoft didn't take a look at what Google was upto and continued doing IE 8. I strongly felt that an IE 8 Beta 2 Refresh was in order to smooth out and speed up java performance, lower the memory usage footprint, add new security measures, add a download manager, and add a removal option that allows you to remove the browser shell. Instead we are getting IE 8, while Firefox is making gains and even at a much smaller pace, Safari is making gains. Part of the reason why Opera is pushing the EU anti-trust case is around IE 8. I think some of these changes are necessary inorder to mute anti-trust calls. How hard would it be to remove IE 8 shell? While IE 7 has a command line removal, I believe it should be in the Control Panel's Program and Features. Along with a Third Party Applications download manager, I think that would help Microsoft further mute anti-trust scenarios. If you had the choice to add Firefox and delete IE 7 or 8, it gives all these third parties a fair chance on of reaching Windows consumers.
shark47
on Jan 26, 2009
"@shark47: You must admit (and thankful) that I and a few others bring the Windows in to the SuperSite for Windows. Both unbiased and truthful reporting." Hey, thanks man. My ISP blocks every other web site, so Paul's blog is the only source of news for me. So, I'm glad you and Ocean post those 10-15 news stories each day. Man, you guys are delusional.
robertsjoe
on Jan 26, 2009
More EU pressure on Microsoft over Internet Explorer: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7834792.stm Microsoft should be fined for simply creating such a crap browser, not just for its clear anti-competitive practices.
robertsjoe
on Jan 26, 2009
@shark47: "Man, you guys are delusional." You obviously don't realise when others are yanking your chain.
robertsjoe
on Jan 26, 2009
How an insecure OS like WIndows is driving a whole industry: http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,24965806-24170,00.html Thank god Linux and OS X users don't have to worry about it all. Good luck with your updates for anti-virus today kids.
Ocean
on Jan 26, 2009
>>VMWare Server is free. VMWare is a superior product too.<< I like Virtualbox.
Heatlesssun
on Jan 26, 2009
I'm here to bring balance to the force! Really, I see a lot of ABM'ers spreading FUD around here. Yes I'm biased towards Windows but I tell people the truth. And I like to learn so keep it coming. IE8 is looking to be an okay release, nothing fancy, just a fairly modern and solid browser. I'd say its biggest weakness (not counting potential security flaws that we may not yet know about) is JavaScript speed. In testing Google Apps, the performance is much better in Firefox and Chrome. That said, the average user isn't going to care. Google Apps is slow no matter the browser compare to a native app. But its something that Microsoft needs to work on. The accelerators out of the box are actually a very nice and simple touch that actually add a lot to the browsing experience. Nothing that isn't in FF with add ons but it nice just to have it there. So there you have it. A simple and truthful quick and dirty assessment. If you're a FF user (I use IE & FF side by side often but usually go with IE for most browsing chores) this won't make you switch. If you an IE user I think you;ll find the browser more solid but nothing earth shattering.
agl82
on Jan 26, 2009
I think it's time to hire a moderator to weed out the iTard flamers who stink up this place. Ocean and Robertsjoe are a disease...and I'm the cure.
Heatlesssun
on Jan 26, 2009
@agl82: Just use Apple's coolest gadget, the iGnore.
robertsjoe
on Jan 26, 2009
@agl82: "Ocean and Robertsjoe are a disease...and I'm the cure." Living your live as if it were a movie? Dumb and Dumber.
shark47
on Jan 27, 2009
There has been some speculation that Google is working with OEMs to bundle Chrome with Windows. I don't know what that means for the EU's case against MS. OEMs are free to bundle 3rd party software with Windows (including crapware), so it's only a matter of time before they start bundling browsers.
Waethorn
on Jan 27, 2009
@sharky: :) Next up: Eminem re-scores the Deliverance soundtrack. LOL! "When Microsoft removed the Menu bar, I complained a lot -- didn't like it -- but now I hardly ever use the Menu bar." I stopped using the Menu bar altogether. The reason is because commonly used options are now icons. The rest of the menu options have been consolidated into 2 menus: Page, and Tools.
Waethorn
on Jan 27, 2009
"Get a clue. VMWare Server is free. VMWare is a superior product too. Plus the benefit of being able to take the same VM and run it on OS X, Windows or Linux (on the latter two for free)." VMware Server is for, guess what?: Hosting SERVERS. Get a clue. Virtual Server and Hyper-V Server are also free BTW, and using hosted apps on a server with a TS Gateway is a better option from a management perspective than deploying virtual machines to every desktop. This is how many enterprises are already running. They're doing the "cloud in a biosphere" with their WAN. Besides that, Med-V offers central management of Virtual PC images on desktops, and allows for legacy application transparency to the host OS, just as VMware's Unity mode. Med-V and App-V are available to Software Assurance customers too, so the cost over and above SA is nil (and customers with an enterprise agreement already have SA). The management applications are still cheaper too. App-V is the on-server hosted option, whereas Med-V is the on-desktop managed option. App-V is for simplicity of management, whereas Med-V is for more performance in low-bandwith situations.
tayme
on Jan 27, 2009
@Heatlesssun - "Just use Apple's coolest gadget, the iGnore." That is one of the best iWords that I have seen yet. Regarding robertsjoe's complete ignorance of the facts...now that OSX.Trojan.iServices.A is in the wild...albeit due to downloading a pirated copy of iWork...and others are finding ways to infect OS X with malicious code - http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/01/21/stealthier_mac_attacks/ - do you think that he will change his tune regarding OS X being totally invulnerable? Doubtful...it takes the younger generation a while to comprehend such things. --tayme
abhinov.k.s
on Jan 27, 2009
Yes. A possible outcome of the verdict of The European Union(EU) may require Microsoft or other computer manufacturers to install Firefox or other browsers (Chrome, Opera and Safari) by default alongside Internet Explorer on new Windows-based PCs. Its quite mean considering the fact that IE no longer is a monopoly in the browser market now unlike a couple of years ago.
techfan
on Jan 27, 2009
- @Heatlesssun: IE8 RC1 is actually doing a better job at loading Gmail, at least I have noticed, but it's doing an worst job at displaying the site. I'm now seeing vertical and horizontal lines in Gmail's inbox (and other folders) separeting each message list, sender and attachment icons. I sent a report to MS about it. One thing that I don't like about FF is that most of its features have to be added on -- though at the same time, adding features to FF is one of the things that make it so compelling. With IE, all I have to do is add IE7Pro (works well with IE8 RC1) and I'm done. - @Waethorn: I'm not a big fan of the Command Bar. I like the idea of it, but I removed the Command Bar from the Tabs bar. I tried placing the Command Bar on the right of the Favorites Bar, which looks okay, but what I really want to do is set some of the Command Bar icons where they belong -- next to the Back/Foward, Refresh/Stop buttons. I now only use the Menu bar to get to Tools and/or to send a Link by Email (File | Send).
subzerohitman721
on Jan 27, 2009
Speaking of products tied to the Internet or being software being downloaded through the Internet via a Web Browser, how about this golden nugget from Ars about a new variant Trojan for.... Yes you guess it..... Macs!!! robertsjoe and the iGang, chew on this. http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2009/01/mac-trojan-variant-now-riding-... OSX.Trojan.iServices.B is now a new pirated feature in Adobe Photoshop CS4, brought to you by Torrent's. I think its time to officially congradulate Macs on joining the Trojan club. I guess you guys and gals better start stocking up on anti-virus. Just to give you guys a headstart, I took the liberty of scouting a few. Sorry, no AVG for Macs.... yet. But they are hiring guys to add that support. http://www.symantec.com/norton/macintosh/antivirus http://www.mcafee.com/us/small/products/system_security/clients/virussca... http://www.avast.com/eng/avast-antivirus-mac-edition.html http://www.sophos.com/products/enterprise/endpoint/security-and-control/... http://www.iantivirus.com/ I know. Awkward. Having this talk. My kids aren't even school age yet, but I'll think of this as a warm up. Gives me a decade or so to work on it. Here goes. (Clearing my throat.) If you boys and gals want to play on the Internet, you're gonna need some antivirus. Think of it like a condom. If you want to have sex, you need some protection. It shows respect for your fellow computer users and for your own equpiment. So be smart. Get the antivirus. (End of talk.) That was my public service announcement for the week. Macs are now being target by code writers. We warned you guys. Oh but Macs are superior. Right, I get that. But just maybe... maybe.... possibly... They aren't as superior as you thought. Peace.
deepfry
on Jan 27, 2009
Not that I'm a fan of IE (I will be skipping the IE8 beta, I'll see what it is like when 7 is RTM), but how is putting your browser into your OS install an abuse of monopoly? Unless MS is doing something to restrict the OEMS from putting another browser onto the pc...but that wouldn't then call for an "unbundling" - that seems a little drastic. Just give them a fine and allow the OEMS to put whatever browser they want onto their pcs and set it as the default browser. After all, if you don't have a browser to begin with, how are average users supposed to download a browser of their choice? And if that is the case and MS is "guilty", doesn't that make Apple guilty as well since they "bundle" Safari into every install of Mac OS X? Where are the calls for Apple to get rid of Safari from the Mac OS?
Delmont
on Jan 27, 2009
I haven't used the or turned on the Menu Bar in IE since the beginning of IE7. Junks up the interface and no need of use.
tayme
on Jan 27, 2009
@deepfry - "And if that is the case and MS is "guilty", doesn't that make Apple guilty as well since they "bundle" Safari into every install of Mac OS X? Where are the calls for Apple to get rid of Safari from the Mac OS?" I believe that the issue is more along the lines of the integration with the Windows OS, not so much with the bundling. I could be wrong, though. Either way, it is just the EU trying to get more cash from the popular cash cow, microsoft. --tayme
Delmont
on Jan 27, 2009
I just think it is total crap this RC1 Build of IE8 won't load on my NT workstation. Ugh, this Microsoft treadmill of upgrade upgrade gets tiresome. Why can't Microsoft just back port?
RunTimeError
on Jan 27, 2009
Regarding Trojans on Macs - the key words there are "pirated copies of..." The same goes for Macs as it does for Windows: "Pay for your software". Play with fire, you're gonna get burned.
Ocean
on Jan 27, 2009
agl82...get a life.
tayme
on Jan 27, 2009
@RTE - "the key words there are "pirated copies of..."" While true, this proves that these types of attacks are possible. There are many more delivery methods that can be utilized. Responsible OS X users will use an available tool, as mentioned above by subzero, along with safe and responsible use of the internet. This includes, but is not limited to, paying for software and multimedia files. I use ClamXav on my MBP and Symantec Norton on my G5 iMac. The childish and smug OS X users will continue to say "We don't need AV" until they get bit in the behind. Then they'll complain when the rest of us say "I told you so" --tayme

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