Internet Explorer 8, a few migration pains but mostly great

Robin Capper

25 Mar 2009 — 2 min read

I've reverted to an HTML Flickr photo display "badge" for my side-bar as it appears Internet Explorer 8 doesn't like the Flash version. It showed blank unless toggled to "compatibility mode" which is not something I want to encourage or require. Reading the Flickr Help Forum i found IE8 isn't alone in this (mentions of it with Opera & Firefox) so the more compatible HTML version will rule. I wonder if the problem is Flickr's code or my implementation in the TypePad side-bar?

The only other casualty I've found is the "BlogJet This" IE plug-in which, although being installed and active, does not appear to function. I've logged this and regard it as "work in progress" rather than a lost cause. I've had no problems running CAD related applications, even those which leverage browser code.

Benefits?

So far I've found a few things to like in Internet Explorer 8;

The new blank tab (left): Its nice enough to be my new start-up/home page. It has links to restore your last session, re-open closed tabs in the current session and shortcuts to "Accelerators".

Accelerators (right): These are shortcuts to web services generally accessed by highlighting text and choosing from a pop-up menu when you're browsing. The chosen accelerator will run using the selection as it's input.

No Name Links: I have frequently used sites on the links bar and renamed them with very short names to fit more in. In IE8 I found you can hide these names completely (below). Because I know the icons & order it means a cleaner look with more space. If a reminder is needed hovering on an icon reveals the name & URL in a tool tip.

I haven't noticed IE8 is dramatically faster than IE7 but it has been stable and works with every site I've tried, except for my Flickr badge. Even sites with complex login or transaction processes, bank-card and Paypal, seem to work OK.

Avoiding the IE* problem:

This new version has prompted me to create a few new ActiveWords. Two correct common typos, IE* and ie8, and the last means I'll never type Internet Explorer 8 again!

UPDATE 2009-03-28: If you find IE8 slow this fix from Ed Bott to re-register a .dll may help. I didn't need it but appears some systems are blocking the registration during the install