"Internet Explorer 8 is set to be Microsoft's most standards compliant browser ever. After originally stating that IE8 would default to the same non-compliant behavior exhibited by IE7, Microsoft relented and plumped for standard-by-default. The first beta of IE8 was released in March and it did indeed default to standards compliance. Web developers have been clamouring for standards compliance for a long time; IE is a long way behind the competition, requiring considerable hacks and workarounds to get pages working properly. IE8 should make things a lot better - but it will still fall far short of the standards set by Firefox, Safari, and Opera. Some of these problems are technical, but others are cultural. Where the other browser developers are open and communicative, Microsoft is still leaving web developers in the dark."
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Member since:2005-09-15
You've just used a word which has a lot of importance here, which is MAJOR. Microsoft had hard time in the past dealing with web standard, maybe because they thought they were so big that they monopolized even the web. The only thing we can hope, is they do it right this time. I guess IE8 is in fact what have been planned for IE7 and just got postponed. I remember reading a lot of stuff about IE7 supposed improved standard compliance. When Vista launched, the IE dev team finally issued a statement that standards compliance wasn't so important.
Hopefully, if it true, prepare to get a whole new browsing experience, even with other browser, because MS will target their .Net framework and other web technologies at the standard web. A compliant IE means a better web for anyone. If web developers drop their dependence on old IE-bound technology, more people will start to use other browsers. A lot of people still use IE exclusively because they're bound to it, because of their banking site or other important institutional site.
No more javascript and CSS hacking, yeah!
Member since:2005-07-05
"Pointing out flaws is of course not immature, except when the flaw pointed out does not exist as in the case of OP."
I don't know. IE sucks so bad to program for that I think one may very well be justified in pointing out non-existent flaws as well. 
"If by closed you meant closed source = crap, then I beg to differ and provide Opera as proof."
No, I don't mean closed source. I mean closed as in not following web standards, but instead following Microsoft's proprietary closed standards. You are right, some of this has been fixed in IE 7, but not enough.
"Regarding "tied to proprietary crap" I would be very much interested and appreciative if you enlighten me what exactly constitutes this proprietary crap."
Same as above. Microsoft's CSS support is still not up to snuff, and IE should just drop ActiveX support all together. At least IE7 finally made XMLHttpRequest a native object instead of a retarded ActiveX object. All the other browsers follow open standards, Microsoft traditionally has not. They are coming around, but too slowly.
"The only major issue remaining, web standards support, is supposed to be resolved in IE8."
We'll see. When I can write web code on my OS X or Linux machine and have it run in IE without all the hoops and headstands, I'll share in your optimism.
"Yet, calling IE useless as a browser, especially for the common 'internets' user is, at the very best, unjustified."
I'm not calling it a useless browser for the average user at all. I'm saying it is a heap of crap to program for.
Now, IE does only run on Windows, and I would say that with the exception of games, Windows is a useless OS compared to everything else out there, so by association...
Member since:
2007-02-07
-->There is nothing immature about pointing out the flaws in both Microsoft's products and their business practices.
Pointing out flaws is of course not immature, except when the flaw pointed out does not exist as in the case of OP.
-->As long as Microsoft's browser remains as closed and tied to proprietary crap as it currently is, it will always be the most useless browser of the bunch.
If by closed you meant closed source = crap, then I beg to differ and provide Opera as proof.
Regarding "tied to proprietary crap" I would be very much interested and appreciative if you enlighten me what exactly constitutes this proprietary crap. My sole objection of the kind was ActiveX (from a security standpoint) which have been already dealt with in IE7.
The only major issue remaining, web standards support, is supposed to be resolved in IE8.
Personally, I will not fancy the idea of using IE as I am so dependent on several Firefox extensions that my whole computing experience will take an unfortunate dive if I switch. Yet, calling IE useless as a browser, especially for the common 'internets' user is, at the very best, unjustified.