Comments on: Internet Explorer 8 user interface is not fat. http://www.istartedsomething.com/20080303/internet-explorer-8-interface-not-fat/ All the stuff about Microsoft and technology you haven't read anywhere else. Sat, 20 Mar 2010 17:45:44 +1100 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: The First Look at the IE8 Beta 1 Graphical User Interface http://www.istartedsomething.com/20080303/internet-explorer-8-interface-not-fat/#comment-67785 The First Look at the IE8 Beta 1 Graphical User Interface Sun, 14 Dec 2008 06:26:13 +0000 http://www.istartedsomething.com/20080303/internet-explorer-8-interface-not-fat/#comment-67785 [...] be able to get a taste of the IE8 Beta 1 GUI, in comparison to IE7 and Firefox 2.0, courtesy of Long Zheng. And there is one thing that many users have stated when confronted with the first screenshots from [...] [...] be able to get a taste of the IE8 Beta 1 GUI, in comparison to IE7 and Firefox 2.0, courtesy of Long Zheng. And there is one thing that many users have stated when confronted with the first screenshots from [...]

]]> By: Axel http://www.istartedsomething.com/20080303/internet-explorer-8-interface-not-fat/#comment-61102 Axel Fri, 23 May 2008 17:39:16 +0000 http://www.istartedsomething.com/20080303/internet-explorer-8-interface-not-fat/#comment-61102 Just to touch on the "out-of the box" stuff, regardless of plugins/ extensions. Have you ever tried searching for keywords in a text longer than 100 words? That's very easy with FX as they dock the search field - just press / and start typing (*). The modeless search dialog of IE7 is something that was kept since notepad and is IMHO a very bad feature - it is always in the way. No "repeat search" with a simple key press [F3], it just slows the user down. IE7 gives ridiculously little space for tabs (at the moment I have only 8 tabs open but when I am researching its 20 to 30), so IE8 gets the heads up for making more space. Of course it will never provide same usability as a "tabmix plus". As regards favorites bar the big advantage is that you can organize them multi-dimensionally without the dreaded expand-compact delays and endless scrolling that you get by design with the favorites center. Once you get over 250 favorites you will be thankful for having them in a fast unconfusing menu. "Simplifying" the back and forward dropdown buttons was also another misguided attempt at "saving space" and actually made navigation more difficult: A longer list and the user has to decide whether to go back/forward by going above / below the current page link, which clearly breaks the previous metaphor (right-fwd, left-back) and just adds confusion. Why didn't they just leave this alone "if it ain't broken, don't fix it". I would wish for separate history drop downs to come back with IE8. As I am typing this I get my text spell-checked by Firefox another missing feature that I would like Microsoft to add. (*) a feature that MS has added to all their commercial products (Office / Development Environments etc.) Just to touch on the “out-of the box” stuff, regardless of plugins/ extensions.

Have you ever tried searching for keywords in a text longer than 100 words? That’s very easy with FX as they dock the search field – just press / and start typing (*). The modeless search dialog of IE7 is something that was kept since notepad and is IMHO a very bad feature – it is always in the way. No “repeat search” with a simple key press [F3], it just slows the user down.

IE7 gives ridiculously little space for tabs (at the moment I have only 8 tabs open but when I am researching its 20 to 30), so IE8 gets the heads up for making more space. Of course it will never provide same usability as a “tabmix plus”.

As regards favorites bar the big advantage is that you can organize them multi-dimensionally without the dreaded expand-compact delays and endless scrolling that you get by design with the favorites center. Once you get over 250 favorites you will be thankful for having them in a fast unconfusing menu.

“Simplifying” the back and forward dropdown buttons was also another misguided attempt at “saving space” and actually made navigation more difficult: A longer list and the user has to decide whether to go back/forward by going above / below the current page link, which clearly breaks the previous metaphor (right-fwd, left-back) and just adds confusion. Why didn’t they just leave this alone “if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it”. I would wish for separate history drop downs to come back with IE8.

As I am typing this I get my text spell-checked by Firefox another missing feature that I would like Microsoft to add.

(*) a feature that MS has added to all their commercial products (Office / Development Environments etc.)

]]> By: Rick Cain http://www.istartedsomething.com/20080303/internet-explorer-8-interface-not-fat/#comment-58412 Rick Cain Tue, 25 Mar 2008 18:06:27 +0000 http://www.istartedsomething.com/20080303/internet-explorer-8-interface-not-fat/#comment-58412 IE8 will just be yet another mandatory update from Microsoft that I will never use. IE8 will just be yet another mandatory update from Microsoft that I will never use.

]]> By: ikyouCrow http://www.istartedsomething.com/20080303/internet-explorer-8-interface-not-fat/#comment-56172 ikyouCrow Thu, 06 Mar 2008 20:51:58 +0000 http://www.istartedsomething.com/20080303/internet-explorer-8-interface-not-fat/#comment-56172 more screenshots and new features breakdown (including links to white papers) here: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/ie/ie8/readiness/NewFeatures.htm more screenshots and new features breakdown (including links to white papers) here:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/ie/ie8/readiness/N ewFeatures.htm

]]> By: MJ http://www.istartedsomething.com/20080303/internet-explorer-8-interface-not-fat/#comment-56102 MJ Thu, 06 Mar 2008 08:13:53 +0000 http://www.istartedsomething.com/20080303/internet-explorer-8-interface-not-fat/#comment-56102 Aesthetically, I prefer IE 7. why won't they make it this way: http://img182.imageshack.us/img182/2166/myie8zd0.jpg ? Aesthetically, I prefer IE 7. why won’t they make it this way:

http://img182.imageshack.us/img182/2166/myie8zd0.jpg

?

]]> By: Russ http://www.istartedsomething.com/20080303/internet-explorer-8-interface-not-fat/#comment-56056 Russ Thu, 06 Mar 2008 00:38:24 +0000 http://www.istartedsomething.com/20080303/internet-explorer-8-interface-not-fat/#comment-56056 With FF2 and IE8B1 right next to each other, with all the same menus enabled, both are equally as "fat". Only difference I can see is that the default setup that the icons in FF2 are defaulted to a bigger size and the menu bar (file, view, etc) is hidden by default in IE8B1. With the defaults set: FF2: big icons, tab bar, bookmark bar, menu bar IE8B1: Standard icons, Menu Hidden, Favorits Bar, and Status Bar. With these settings there is only a little difference... only a couple of pixels. With FF2 and IE8B1 right next to each other, with all the same menus enabled, both are equally as “fat”. Only difference I can see is that the default setup that the icons in FF2 are defaulted to a bigger size and the menu bar (file, view, etc) is hidden by default in IE8B1.

With the defaults set:
FF2: big icons, tab bar, bookmark bar, menu bar
IE8B1: Standard icons, Menu Hidden, Favorits Bar, and Status Bar.

With these settings there is only a little difference… only a couple of pixels.

]]> By: Tom http://www.istartedsomething.com/20080303/internet-explorer-8-interface-not-fat/#comment-56005 Tom Wed, 05 Mar 2008 21:24:18 +0000 http://www.istartedsomething.com/20080303/internet-explorer-8-interface-not-fat/#comment-56005 Maybe they're broken because they are valid (lol) or because they were designed for it's legacy. Maybe they’re broken because they are valid (lol) or because they were designed for it’s legacy.

]]> By: RL http://www.istartedsomething.com/20080303/internet-explorer-8-interface-not-fat/#comment-55993 RL Wed, 05 Mar 2008 20:30:49 +0000 http://www.istartedsomething.com/20080303/internet-explorer-8-interface-not-fat/#comment-55993 So far not impressed with standards mode, noticed a few sites already that are "broken". I see now why they wanted to ship with standards mode turned off. Yeah, it passes acid 2, but last I checked acid 2 is not on my favorites tab to go read. So far not impressed with standards mode, noticed a few sites already that are “broken”. I see now why they wanted to ship with standards mode turned off. Yeah, it passes acid 2, but last I checked acid 2 is not on my favorites tab to go read.

]]> By: RL http://www.istartedsomething.com/20080303/internet-explorer-8-interface-not-fat/#comment-55978 RL Wed, 05 Mar 2008 19:43:29 +0000 http://www.istartedsomething.com/20080303/internet-explorer-8-interface-not-fat/#comment-55978 Looks when you open a new tab, instead to the old ABOUT page, there is a nice splash screen with new tab placed on the page background. Forms are also highlighted with a black box. Little different, and not sure how to take IE8 yet. Looks when you open a new tab, instead to the old ABOUT page, there is a nice splash screen with new tab placed on the page background. Forms are also highlighted with a black box. Little different, and not sure how to take IE8 yet.

]]> By: DOWNLOAD http://www.istartedsomething.com/20080303/internet-explorer-8-interface-not-fat/#comment-55964 DOWNLOAD Wed, 05 Mar 2008 18:15:29 +0000 http://www.istartedsomething.com/20080303/internet-explorer-8-interface-not-fat/#comment-55964 The Download links for internet explorer 8 beta is here http://windowsforums.org/index.php?showtopic=290 Check it out The Download links for internet explorer 8 beta is here

http://windowsforums.org/index.php?showtopic=290

Check it out

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