Windows Internet Explorer 8.0 Beta

Windows Internet Explorer 8.0 Beta

Two and a half hours of my life I will NEVER get back!

Computers are supposed to make us more productive right? Wrong! When IE 7.0beta came out, I tried it. It had some issues but the tabbed browsing was a great idea and I liked it. So, when I started my computer today and opened up IE, it went right to the Micorsoft page (I have no idea how or why it does that) and asked me if I wanted to try IE 8.0beta. I figured, sure, why not. That was the beginning of my 2 hours of hell! I should have figured that software quality coming from MS is getting WAY WORSE than better - just look at Vista! Yeah its fancy, but it is slow, takes up more memory, more disk space and really adds no value. I figured, how tough could it be to upgrade a silly browser.

First it told me for my version of XP I needed to update my SP2 with some other files. Okay, there is the first re-boot. Next I updated IE. It seemed to go okay until EVERY TIME I opened a window the information bar come on saying I was running with Add-ons 'disabled'. But when I went to the menue to figure out how to enable them, there was no specific button to do this. Then when I looked at all of the "ad-ons" they were all enabled. I looked from every angle for a way to turn it on and even used help - there was no way to do this. So, I figured I would live with it. Then every time I opened an IE window, or refreshed, I would get the sound and the "warning bar". It was unbelievably aggravating. The kicker was, I really wanted to watch the innaugration so I said I'll just live with it for now and get on cnn.com. I did this and the browser told me that I had to download Adobe Flash - which that add-on screen said I had and that it was enabled. When I got to the download screen it wouldn't let me download it and there was no error except for the "add-on" being disabled informaton bar, when it clearly wasn't dis-abled. So now, in order to watch cnn.com, I needed to go back to IE 7.0. This was another hour. I couldn't just overwirte 8.0 with 7.0 - Why MS wont let you do this is beyond me so I had to install Firefox (which I will be using from now on). Next, uninstall IE 8, then download IE 7.0 and then install. By the time the process was complete, I was so late getting on to CNN.com and there were so many others logged in, I didn't get a chance to experience that moment in history. So much for computers making our lives easire and better.

Bottom Line: DONT UPGRADE UNTIL WINDOWS 7.0 IS OUT - YOUR PAST VISTA AND YOU JUST HAVE TO GET IE 8.0 BECAUSE IT IS A PART OF SOME OS. Thanks for nothing, again, MS.