Internet Explorer 8
by: Anman
Total views: 138
I work with IE on a regular basis. As a software consultant whose main program is web based I work with web browsers a lot. By web browsers I mean Internet Explorer and Firefox, as I can't stand any others. In fact, I really can't stand IE, but I have to use it at work. Anyway, every time a new version of these browsers come out I have a good go at it and this time I thought I would collate all my information into a Point based system. I may do software reviews like this in the future. Who knows. Basically, I will give you my current standing towards a software, and we will see how it went from there.
My personal score with IE7 is about -15. The way my scoring works, is that for every point I like, it gets a point, for every point I don’t like, it loses a point. So basically, here’s some examples. Firefox 2: 25. Firefox 3: 10. IE6: 0.
This is my experience with installing IE8. Since I have IE7 to compare to, I am using my EXPERIENCE with IE8 for my points.
First the installer forced me to update some useless updates for Internet explorer 7, which forced me to restart my computer. - 1 point.
It then forced me to install the genuine update, an update that pisses me off to no end, despite the fact I DO NOT install windows updates, at work or at home. However this was expected from Microsoft so no points. No wait, - 1 point for being cunts.
It then forced me to do a useless search for malware. But at least they care.
It took 19 times longer to install than FF, taking into consideration restart time and so on (excluding the next note). -1 point.
Then asked me to restart my computer. -1 point
It then said it was installed WITHOUT windows updates, even though it forced me to update things anyway. I don't understand this crazy IE8.
Opened it up to find my IE7 had turned into A HIDEOUS DEFORMED MONSTROSITY OF MESS AND SEIZURES.
It then told me that IE 8 has all these new features such as this and that. Here were my options.
- Learn about these new features and how to manage their settings
- Read the Internet Explorer Privacy Statement online
- Next
- Ask me later
First of all, IT DIDNT EVEN ASK ME A QUESTION! What am I telling it to ask me later and what am I clicking next for? The opening line is "Internet Explorer 8 helps you use the Internet even faster than before." And right now, I am in a shock of confusion, which is preventing me from using it right now. - 2 points. I click next.
It then asks me to turn on Suggested Sites.
- Do you want to discover websites you might like based on websites you've visited? WHAT THE HELL? It wants to browse the internet FOR me now. What the hell? This is the same as ADSENSE adds and shit. And I BET sites that are "sponsored" or Microsoft affiliated have higher priority for whatever shit this is. -1 point So I choose no.
It then asks me to choose my settings. Express settings have a whole lot of stuff turned on by default and makes Google the default search bar thingy. Or I can choose custom. First of all, doesn’t Microsoft have their OWN search engine? I chose custom. The next setting is a decent one, asking if I want to keep my default search engine, which would explain why Google was there. +1 point to IE8 so far.
Then it asks if I want it to download updates for my search providers. What? I don’t even know what this means. And I am an IT professional! - 1 point for making me feel stupid (I did not look this up and to this day still don't know what this is) I choose no.
It then asks for what sort of accelerators I want to use. Personally, I want to use none. But since I'm installing this for work I need to choose the default option. And its a piece of shit, I really don’t want to touch it.
I then get the option to turn on SmartScreen, a filter against malicious software, fraudulent websites and phishing scams. There hasn’t already been a HUNDREAD different things like this in the past, so MS must make a new one. The only reason I turn it on is for work purposes. This however gets -1 point, as windows already has a tone of useless shitty tools such as Windows Defender and crap.
There is then a Compatibility mode. It helps make websites designed for older browsers look better. This can be turned on or off at any time. I really really like this. One of the biggest things I hate about FireFox is it's inability to allow for multiple HTML standards. I'm an avid hater of CSS and being forced to use DIVs to create an alignment in a table pisses me off to no extent. Not to mention out of the trillions of web pages on the internet many people DO NOT up date. Anyway, this only gets +1 point for now. It might piss me off in the future or wont work properly. I turn it on.
Ok, back to my point about it being a hideous deformed freak. The reason for this is because they have taken all the uncustomisable bits that pissed me off to no end in IE7, and have floated them all so you can manipulate them. +1 point, as I can finally get rid of the tool bar icons I don’t want.
I look at my window and I feel a lot better about using this program. I notice in the address bar that the main domain is highlighted black and the rest of the address is grey. I kind of like this, but I don’t know about the rest of the address being greyed out, making it harder to see, so no points.
I look at my quick search bar and discovered that it has added TWO new search engines that I DIDNT want. -1 point. One of those search engines is Yahoo. Another -1 point. However it gets +1 point for the new manager that lets you handle the quick search and other add ins for IE. And for the associate website that was easier to navigate than FireFoxes one (Excluding IE's extensions, that site is shit).
I start looking around randomly, trying to get a feel for it.
A new find bar that works well, feels well and looks well. +1 point.
A tick box system that now handles the deleting of temp files and cookies and so on. It will drive me insane. - 1 point.
It added two new folders to my favourites menu. -1 point. One of those folders were OTHER Microsoft websites -1 point.
IE8 now holds 3rd party session information. A big help for me at work. +1 point
When I opened a new tab it gave me a whole lot of "What do you want to do next?" bullshit. I had turned this off in IE7, forcing me to turn it off again. - 1 point.
A transparent blue square appears any time I highlight text. I HATE that. I hate that so much it makes me hate my life because of the fact people do this shit to the programs I use. AND YOU CANT TURN IT OFF - 3 points.
I finally realise what IE8 meant when it says "Accelerators" and boy was I sure fooled. I had to delete all the bullshit that is Accelerators. -1 point.
My personal web page shows up incredibly wrong. -1 point. Despite the fact that FF displays it correctly and it only accepts the most current up to date HTML. When I hit compatibility mode THEN IE8 displays the page correctly. And either way, the radio buttons for my search bar still don't show up properly.
A whole bunch of new crap added to the tools bar. Half of which, are not tools to begin with and were present, and pissing me off, in IE7. -1 point.
I then left this bit of text for a week or so to see whatever else I would discover through my regular use.
Group Tabs are stupid and ugly and distracting. I had to TURN them off myself. -1 point. Automatically turning on new features every friggen time is a PAIN IN THE ASS.
THE ACCELERATOR SQUARE IS A FRICKEN PICEAS OF SHSART!! ARGHAS - 5
The annoying address bar, that acts like FF 3's, but you can't get rid of it, unlike in FF, where I had to install a plugin to get rid of it. - 1 Point
Not fixing various things in IE 7 that pissed me off such as the delay in new tabs which results in the favourites link opening in the previous tab, inability to handle separate sessions between tabs, inability to NOT crash stupidly and various other memory glitches that cause it to freeze stupidly. - 5 points.
That gives my IE8 experience -27 points. Taking into consideration the IE7 experience, that brings my entire feel in regards to IE -32 points. I don't even know what these points mean, I just hate IE.
About the Author
ANMAN WROTE THIS!
Rating: 5.00