Internet Explorer Improves

Internet Explorer 8 is now more stable

For Internet Explorer users, and particularly for Vista users, reviews recommend upgrading to IE8, even in its beta version. It's more stable than IE7 because each tab operates independently; if one site crashes, the rest of the sites stay available. This is an advantage over Firefox 3 that Internet Explorer 8 shares with Chrome, though so far, reviews find Chrome crashes less.

Internet Explorer 8 conforms better than IE7 to the latest Web standards (though not as well as Opera 9.5), and adds useful privacy features that are even better than Google Chrome's. Both browsers let you browse incognito, but IE8 lets you browse privately at one tab while another tab stays public. Adding private browsing to Firefox requires installing a third-party extension. (Note that private browsing doesn't add pages to your history database, though, so it's a mixed blessing.)

The comparison review at Tech Radar notes that in Internet Explorer 8, right-clicking on a link is context-sensitive, so the menu might include a map or translation if relevant. You can add this to Firefox 3 with a Ubiquity add-on, but the feature is built into IE8. In fact, that's one of the main advantages to Internet Explorer -- so much is built in that you don't need to do much to it. Reviews say Internet Explorer 8's security and search features are excellent. Especially if you're already used to using Internet Explorer, it can be easier to upgrade to IE8 than to spend time learning to use Opera or customize Firefox.

PC Magazine's review says the tabbed browsing in Internet Explorer 8 is better than that of IE7, Firefox and Opera. Tabs are color coded, and related tabs move next to each other. As with Firefox 3 and Opera 9.5 web browsers, you can save a group of tabs to a Favorites folder, then reopen all with a single click. Search is also greatly improved, though most reviews still prefer Firefox for this purpose.

Overall, reviews consistently find major drawbacks to the IE8 web browser. It's slower than Chrome, Firefox and Opera web browsers, and it takes more memory and CPU power. Reviews hesitate to recommend Internet Explorer 8 as an upgrade for older or underpowered computers -- for which Opera 9.5 is a better bet. (IE7 and IE8 don't even work with versions of Windows older than Windows XP.) Firefox offers more options for customization.