Microsoft.com not compatible with Microsoft's Internet Explorer 8

[Danni]

Microsoft have created a compatibility list for IE 8, which makes IE 8 go into compatibility mode automatically if you visit those sites. As well as Facebook, Google and eBay, one of the sites on the list (so not compatible with IE 8) is Microsoft.com!

http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=2067&tag=nl.e589

I'm trying to figure out which is the broken bit- the sites or the browser?

[Sebby]

I think it's fair to say it's the browser, Danni. I'm not suggesting that all of those sites conform to web standards, but we know that browsers like Firefox, Safari, Opera, and Chrome do, and the sites work fine in those.

Internet Explorer is just a joke, and if anything, it gets worse with every release. It's a shame that more people aren't aware of alternative browsers (or don't care more) because Microsoft don't deserve to have the biggest share of the browser market.

[john]

I think it's very subjective Sebby, I have installed other browsers on my machine (Firefox, Opera and Safari) but I still prefer to use IE as it is the one that has given me the least problems, I prefer the appearance and it does what I want and expect it to do.

[juiceuk]

I too have used many browsers but prefer IE. IE with IEPro installed is even better. If you have not tried IE with IEPro then try it.

[Gary]

I used to like IE and took ages to go over to FF, the web is still coded for IE and thats a major issue, all the sites I use work in FF, I don't need compatibility modes to get there, IE never adheres to web standards which is well known just try the acid test on it, therefore pages used to not function well in the early days of FF and Opera, I just like FF, it does what I want, tabs are easy to control and so is privacy and the ad ons (official ones) are great, I would be lost without even my basic dictionary, and I'm not perpetuating webmasters  needs to have to code for IE only, its high time that stopped, and MS bent with the prevailing wind and followed suit and ran with web standards not away from them with its own variants. Rant over  , far to much morning coffee.

[Sebby]

I agree with you, Gary. Features like the dictionary in Firefox are invaluable.

It did take me about 3 tries before I finally moved to Firefox permanently. There's something about IE that is difficult to move away from - perhaps it's just the fact that it's the most familiar browser - but now I can't stand it. I guess it's like everything really.

[Rik]

I took a while to move from IE too, despite having started out as a Netscape fan. However, once I'd adjusted to Firefox, there was no way I could consider going back.

[Gary]

I think like most things change means mving away from th warm fuzzyness of safety and many do not like that, but in the case of FF it was well worth it, with vista having its built in windows update client I never fire up IE anymore I must admit, and finally Live messenger 2009 now lets you use your default browser with it, so no more IE firing up when you check your emails, I dont use the live messenger client, that's one thing I did not like, as far as change went, it was not really needed as I use Hotmail so rarely, and then only for my IM clients anyway, and now using firefox I dont need that stupid active x tool to search out your photos and files when I do use it now  .