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IE8 beta

2008-03-06

Microsoft released a beta version of Internet Explorer 8.

Since it installs over your existing IE7 (or 6) browser, you might want to install it on a virtual machine. A disk image is available.

I won't be testing too much, since I am in the middle of a home makeover. First observation: there's something terribly wrong with CSS overflow, see for example google maps.

Screenshot of google maps in IE8

Note that the "Emulate IE7" button makes you restart the browser, which might be a nuisance. In the internet explorer developer toolbar however, there's a render mode switch in the view > change compatibility mode menu. This lets you switch between IE5, IE7 and IE8 mode instantly.

Screenshot of the IE8 developer toolbar render mode switch