Internet Explorer 8 Release Candidate 1 (IE8 RC1), the final pre-release version of Microsoft's forthcoming web browser, is now available to download.
The release, arriving some five months after the launch of IE8 Beta 2, is deemed by the developing team to be "effectively complete and done", and users should see little-to-no change in the final release later this year.
IE8 RC1 packs a selection of reliability, performance and compatibility improvements, of which the most significant is arguably a re-thought approach to the browser's compatibility mode. As you may know, Microsoft has opted to do things differently in IE8 and attempt to strictly adhere to web standards - unfortunately, as admirable as the approach may be, it ultimately found that far too many websites are already awkwardly coded to render correctly in prior IE releases.
Compatibility mode, therefore, is available in IE8 to make websites that render a little unusually appear as they would in IE7. In Beta 2, however, the problem was that compatibility mode was user selected, so it was up to the viewer to determine whether or not a website looked right. In RC1, Microsoft has introduced a Compatibility View Updates feature that allows the browser to connect to a Microsoft-created list of websites that view better in compatibility mode. The idea, of course, is that the user can browse the web freely and the up-to-date list will ensure most websites display in the best possible way.
Sounds useful, and here's what Dean Hachamovitch, general manager of the IE8 team, had to say:
"IE8 focused on how people really use the web. Consumers want a browser that makes the tasks they do every day faster and easier. The activities people spend their time on define real-world performance: navigating to websites, working with tabs, searching, keeping track of changing information (like traffic or an auction), and using the information from one site with another (as in getting a map). Everyone wants a trustworthy browser that keeps them in control and protects their safety. Developers want great developer tools, great interoperability, and a powerful platform that enables them innovate. For some people, accessibility is crucial; for some organisations, policy, administration, and deployment are essential."
If you're interested in giving the release a whirl, head on over microsoft.com/ie8 to find the download, and upgrade instructions are available at the official IEBlog.
IE8 RC1 is available in 25 languages for Windows Vista, Windows XP, and Windows Server. Note also, that this release is newer than the build incorporated in the Windows 7 beta.
Useful links
Download IE8 RC1
