Computerworld's Gregg Keizer recently reported that IE8 beta 1 users were experiencing problems loading various websites, including Microsoft sites such as Windows Live Hotmail and Windows Update. The article seems to largely lay the blame on the fact that this is a beta, but that isn't the whole story here. The "why?" question is worth exploring a bit more thoroughly.
IE8 is aimed primarily at developers. This is why Microsoft announced that IE8 would be available to the public, in addition to its selected beta testers. IE8 has a mode that passes the Acid2 test and, in response to general public outcry, Microsoft scrapped its previous statement and decided to make this mode the default, leading web developers everywhere to rejoice. However, this move will mean a huge amount of short term problems in exchange for an improvement in the state of the Internet in the long term. One day, IE8 will be more popular than IE7 and IE6 and, at that point, many websites will have a lot less to worry about thanks to IE8's significantly improved (although obviously not perfect—Acid3 anyone?), standards compliance.
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