Next Internet Explorer 8 Preview Improves Compatability View
The next public update of Internet Explorer 8 includes improvements to Compatibility View that help end-users when they visit web sites that are not yet ready for IE8’s new, more standards-compliant defaults. The next beta release of Internet Explorer 8 is for Windows Vista- and Windows XP-based operating systems and for Windows 7 Beta.
The next beta has been announced for first quarter of 2009.
The new features in Internet Explorer 8 uses customer feedback to make the compatibility experience better. When users install Windows 7 Beta or the next IE8 update, they get a choice about opting-in to a list of sites that should be displayed in Compatibility View. Sites are on this list based on feedback from other IE8 customers: specifically, what high-volume sites did other users click the Compatibility View button.
The team explains the issues on the IEBlog entry, Compatibility View Improvements to come in IE8.
Previously, some versions of IE released while some key standards were still under construction and before standards efforts had started for other key technologies. The most important thing we can do now is deliver better interoperability for a better web, with as few compatibility issues as possible so that end-users adopt it.
For more information on the issues around browser compatibility, see Microsoft's Interoperability Principles and IE8.
For screenshots of the user experience and additional information about the compatibility view feature, see Compatibility View Improvements to come in IE8.
Meanwhile, ISVs should download beta 2 (if you haven’t already) and let us know about your experience. Be sure your customer's sites are ready for Internet Explorer 8.
And you can take advantage of the new features such as:
A readiness toolkit for IE8 is available to help you get start developing.