If web browsing was solely based on speed, Microsoft’s new version of Internet Explorer would be last in line. Aside from that key item however, it’s solid, offers better usability and greater security than any prior version. At least that’s what I’m hearing from Walt Mossberg’s review of IE8, which comes out of beta today. Here’s his bottom line in the review:
“Internet Explorer 8 is a well-done advance on an important product used by most people to surf the Web. If it were faster, I would say it was the best browser currently available for Windows. But even so, it will be an improvement for current Internet Explorer users, and might even tempt some folks to switch.”
Whether you read about them in the review or find out for yourself, you’ll see new features in IE8 that resemble some of the best in Google’s Chrome or Mozilla’s Firefox browser. And that’s not a bad thing. I love how Chrome treats each tab as a separate process so if one crashes, the remaining stay intact. That approach arrives in IE8. Firefox extensions are another differentiator. While IE8 doesn’t have nearly the same amount of flexibility, Microsoft does implement useful web accelerators and slices. IE8 is looking like a meld of what I like in competing browsers but with the Redmond view of trying to make one product work for all.
In the end, I’m unfortunately only giving IE8 a cursory glance. Why? If the “Achilles Heel” is speed, I have to pass. I simply live way too much in a browser, so speed is a premium that I have to have for productivity purposes. Likening the browser to an OS, I need to move through the environment so that my tools don’t get in the way. Perhaps I’ll do some speed tests for comparison and then change my mind because I do like some of the unique features Microsoft is bringing to IE8.
We always say to use the right tool for the task at hand: the tool I need has to deliver speed as it’s my number one tool requirement. Coming in after that is security, compatibility with web standards, cross-platform support and customization. What are you looking for in a browser today?
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