First, a few words about the following screenshot. To be perfectly clear, this is not an original image. The window and its contents (address bar, tab, window title, page content) have been heavily recomposited to better fit in a smaller image size as well as to obscure any traces where this might have come from. I did not take the screenshot nor do I have access to the beta (so no emails please but do send bribes regardless). Having said that, I can easily vouch for its authenticity.
It appears Internet Explorer 8 doesn’t stray far from the new hybrid menu/toolbar interface of Internet Explore 7, not in Beta 1 at least. Contrary to the ribbon-interface speculation, I think after the rather drastic transition from IE6 to IE7, a more consistent user interface is a good thing as users won’t waste any time relearning how to use a browser.
From top to bottom, the address bar now boasts a new UI trick being able to highlight just the domain in the URL. It’s a very insignificant change but its something that you wish you had thought of. It’s a smart thing to do because it dramatically decreases the risk from domain phishing attacks - where it convinces you to click on “paypal.com” actually taking you to “paypal.com.maliciouswebsite.com”.
The search box now sports the ability to display an icon for the search provider you have currently selected. Currently in IE7, it only displays the name of the search provider in italics which unfortunately means as soon as you type something, it removes any indication of which search you’re using unless you manually click the drop-down button. Glad that’s fixed.
The bookmarks menu makes a much welcomed return above the tabs having endured a year of seclusion inside the side-pane. You can now bookmark links to always appear on this menu bar and I might add is no longer separated by an ugly black line, as well as access to all your other bookmarks accessible from the “Favorites” button.
Last but not least, the whole toolbar has received a very subtle color change. Those who were a fan of #C5DEFA will now have to face up to #C1D5ED. Tough love.
Comments for "Lo and behold, the Internet Explorer 8 toolbar."
Chris McElligott
I really like the url highlighting, hopefully it becomes a feature to users will pick up on.
Jonathan
Hey… where did the quick tabs button go? Also why did they move the favorite / add favorite button on top of the tabs? I like how IE 7 is sleek and minimal.
Long Zheng
@Jonanthan: Quick Tabs is still there I believe. It only shows up when you have more than one tab open like it does in Internet Explorer 7.
Edootjuh
Now that’s a real update
It’s not as sleek as IE7, but I still think a bookmarks toolbar is a welcome addition, though it should be a little skinnier. It’s a little too obese now.
Also it seems like the fonts are a little more Cleartyped (forgot the word). Or Ubuntu’s doing that. Or this is a photoshop mockup.
I wonder what the new cursor button does…
Long Zheng
@Edootjuh: The font is a result of my edits. More on that in the first paragraph.
The blue cursor icon is the shortcut for the Internet Explorer Developer Toolbar. http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=e59c3964-672d -4511-bb3e-2d5e1db91038&displaylang=en
Jono
Unless an interface redesign is a major part of the new version, the UI is usually the last thing to be changed during the development process of a software update - developers focus on getting the features ready first, then concentrate on making it look pretty. So the IE8 UI will probably change further down the track.
Long Zheng
@Jono: That is true, but for Internet Explorer 7, the new interface was pretty much unchanged from Beta 1 with the exception of a few icons.
Andre F.
@Chris McElligott
Firefox had an extension for similar feature for quite some time now.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/4014
pantaz
it looks shit and chunky.. a lot like IE7..tbh I don’t really see IE8 really getting much of better GUI or tools and really don’t care what the do with it they could never beat Maxthon. But I do hope MS have actually improved the engine a hell of lot more this time around so it doens’t look absolute junk compared to opera, firefox engines.. then at least Maxthon users who prefere a better GUI and browsing experience than all the other junky browsers get the benefits of a better IE8 engine.
Maybe IE9 might actually be a real improvement for the MS browser. With stuff like disabling sounds per tab! and other useful designed features for the user to be in more control of there browsing experience.
tino
It looks very good. I think they should not change the UI dramatically, because IE7’s is good and does fit well to the Windows Explorer.
Are there more toolbar items hidden?
Chustar
@pantaz:
Thanks! All this positivity about IE8 was giving me an ulcer. Finally a negative comment. Yay!
@Andre F:
I know, you can morph Firefox into anything with extensions, but eventually, those extensions start compromising speed.
tucan
IE7 toolbar is better than IE8. IE8 favorites are on a new line, and this is bad because it uses more screen space.
tino
I need to add this one: It is so bad that they haven’t erased that ugly old-style border around the website content. These two pixel wide border anticipade the scroll bar to be at the border of the screen to follow Fitt’s Law. (Or is the shown website content from IE7? Than I am sorry.)
Chustar
“Over to you, Chris.”
Awww, you and liveside.net are still having your lovey-dovey relationship.
Zack
You’ll find that most of the “top blogs”, LiveSide, this blog, Mary Jo, WinConnected, Bink etc. all have a similar relationship. It’s nice, really is
I still find that IE8 is too bulky at the top. Some may accuse FF3b3 of being “too compact and cluttered” at the top, where I find it’s not. It’s probably just personal taste, but I find that too much space is left with nothing there and could easily be filled or moved around to save “white space”. But that’s just a personal opinion
Max
Lol not much is new UI-wise, but I like it nonetheless.
Chris
Chustar, Long was referring to the fact that he posted the install screen yesterday and I followed up within a few hours. I guess he was expecting me to followup again
quikboy
I really liked the more “streamlined” look of IE7. Keeping it simple really seemed a step ahead of the time, and if you can’t figure out the new layout and super simple icons, it shouldn’t be that hard to adjust.
I hope to see more IE8 goodies come out in time.
Simon
So far so good, looking forward to some more features!
Venkat
Looks like IE folks use google as their search engine….:)…. Live search anyone?….
Xepol
Now just waiting for it to show up… I wonder if they still hide all the toolbars in fullscreen mode, which makes it totally freaking useless.
Zack
From what I know of people working there - even the Live Search team (in the UK) used Google. Ironic, but it’s a far better search engine.
Jono
Like I said, you change UI early on if the UI change is a major focus of the software update. If you’re just updating the UI a bit to make it easier to differentiate between versions, then you generally leave it to the end. In IE7’s case, the UI redesign was one of the major points of the upgrade. In IE8’s, it probably isn’t.
UItest
I’m not sure about the UI.
They call it a TECH beta. So it might that they are still developing the UI and release that with the first PUBLIC beta.
Eamonn
I kinda think the comparison to Firefox is a bit silly. Describing it as a “staggering” difference, when obviously IE7/8 hides the toolbar by default.
Anyway I turn it straight back on when I have to use IE7, sure its nice to be able to turn it off, but i think its far from groundbreaking or “staggering”, you should watch people try to use it for the first time, “wait you mean the toolbar that is in 99% of all applications i use as a standard aid to usability is gone?”
Completely unrelated to IE8 of course, but you did bring up the comparison to firefox all yourself
Mr.Deviance
Well this update will make and excelent addon to my firefox ietab XD
Cya later ie fan boys!
FIREFOX IS THE FUTURE!
rożen
“Cya later ie fan boys!” + “FIREFOX IS THE FUTURE!”
Look who’s talkin’
invader
what about URL adress? i mean the color of other parts of URL. At the screenshot we can see that part of adress in Aero theme have other color, maybe when we move mouse pointer onto “black/strong” part of URL we can see a management history/adress menu ? can you explain to us this feature in new web browser? And how about classic view (not Aero) how it’ll be realised????? i can’t imagine =(. thanks before for explaining.
wbr, invader, vista site owner
Zack
MJ told me the beta starts soon - I’ll send some screenies to Long (as far as I know he’s not in the beta
) so you can all have a look.
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