First, sorry for the hiatus…life called. Enough said.
Alright, full disclosure here on two fronts: first, I have NOT used IE 8 yet. I’ve got Virtual PC and a virtual waiting for me to try that nutter out. Second, I’m a Web developer by trade and have had to deal with the craptastic support for Web standards in IE6 and IE7.
I’ve been a loyal IE user for years (up until I discovered FireBug on FF2, at least) largely because it was (and still is, I might add) the predominant browser out there. If you’re going to develop a site for anyone but your local Linux or Mac group, you’re going to be developing for some version of IE.
Now, IE 8′s supposed to be this great new release of IE that brings it up to par with Web standards while improving speed, security, and your waist size or whatever the PR department decides to churn out. For me, the Web developer, I’m looking forward to better Web standards support so I don’t have to tie my code into knots trying to make it work with IE6 (good luck with CSS selectors) and IE7 (JS processing speed is only marginally faster than IE6) while still being compatible with FF (2 had its issues too, you know).
But, here’s the thing…the majority of people USING current IE versions could care less about Web standards. All they care about is that they got this new computer and lookie here! It comes with a Web browser. Internet Explorer? Whatever, just show me the way to my porn sites! I’m ready! And what do they care about? Simple: does the site I want to get to display properly and otherwise work?
Here’s the catch though…since the majority of the herd people out there are already using IE and Web developers like myself have to support them, those sites ARE going to work with IE. Meanwhile, I’ve got my twenty different search toolbars, I’ve got tabbed browsing, I’ve got great phishing support so people can steal my information, I’m set!
What’s IE8 got? Outside of better Web standards support? Check out the feature list…it’s frigging boring! Web slices sounds interesting…except it’s just a glorified RSS feed. Accelerators? Yeah, accelerators to Windows sites we don’t want to use. I love it…I can almost see a Microsoft representative standing on a stage in front of the press positively glowing about all these great places you can go with a single right-click. It’s like shopping at Whole Foods. It seems like every day you see another “store brand” taking over shelf space.
To invoke the spirit of Henry Ford with a smidge of paraphrase: You can view maps, email, search and shop for anything you want, as long as you do it on a Windows Live site. It’s hilarious. Where are the anti-trust lawyers when you need them?
Better still, it seems IE8′s not doing a whole lot to set itself apart from Microsoft’s wonderful reputation for crapware. I mean, c’mon…add something cool…give us a reason to switch. Or do the FireFox thing and give your users no friggin choice. Oh wait, I think they heard me.
Welcome to Microsoft’s version of choice. Your choice? Cut yourself off from security updates and the like if you prefer to stick with what you’ve got. It doesn’t matter if your toolbars might not be compatible. It doesn’t matter if you just happen to like using a dated and broken browser…you’ve got to upgrade from useable to shit.
Congratulations, Microsoft. You’re maintaining your suckage levels at their highest levels. You still can’t stuck enough!
Suck me.