Beta Version of Internet Explorer 8 Passes Some Tests, Fails Others

The last 8 months might not accurately—or even hyperbolically—be a renaissance for Microsoft, but in the wake of several software missteps, they are beginning to do things a bit differently.



With Windows 7 now in beta mode and available for temporary public use, Microsoft has now released the first Release Candidate (RC1) for Internet Explorer 8 (IE8). While many sites still structure their code around IE6, which was the last non-standards compliant IE version, and would perform very differently using more standards-compliant, published test results show that there are few negative performance errors for most of the test sites rendered on RC1 IE8.

In terms of web standards compatibility, which has long been a key point in the Web Standards Project, RC1 IE8 comes in at 20% on the Acid3 Test, meaning that problems with animation and rendering images, text, symbols and other references are likely to occur with sites that are structured according to compliance standards.

Technicians are awaiting critical feedback and are positioned to halt beta-testing if significant errors occur. However, according to IE8 development team general manager Dean Hachamovitch, “The IE8 product is effectively complete and done…the technical community should expect the final IE8 release to behave as the Release Candidate does…”

Whether the final non-Beta versions of Windows 7 and IE8 might still fall short of their mark, the different testing and development processes being used by Microsoft should insulate both products from Vista-like failure.

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