CNET Editors' note: The Download Now link will take you to the Microsoft download site, where you can select your operating system.
CNET Editors' review
Update, March 14, 2011: Note that Internet Explorer 8 is now for Windows XP only. If you have Windows Vista or Windows 7, you are strongly encouraged to upgrade to Internet Explorer 9 (download) for improved browser security and better browsing features.
Internet Explorer 8 addresses just about all of the major concerns that users and critics have had with the world's most used browser. Whether they get answered in a way you like is another matter.
There are several new and interesting features. Web Slices lets you save predefined sections of a Web page for at-a-glance viewing. Instead of going to a traffic Web site for updates, the latest commuting news comes to you. Similarly, Accelerators make repetitive tasks one-click behaviors, for instance finding directions or blogging. InPrivate browsing introduces a cache and history on-off switch, while related tabs are color-coded and automatically reorganized as you open them. There's also tab sandboxing, which means that when a tab crashes, IE itself won't, and it even tries to resurrect the page that crashed.
There's a greater emphasis on Web standards and security than before. The SmartScreen and cross-site scripting filters throw up a red warning page when you're about to visit an unsafe site. There's also domain highlighting, which grays out the name of the URL you're looking at except for the domain itself. This sounds simple, but effectively draws attention to spoofed site URLs. There's also a compatibility button so that sites designed specifically for IE 7 and earlier can still be viewed.
IE 8 lacks a default "smart" location bar that many other browsers have, but you can search your history and most visited pages from there. Also, the installation process still requires a reboot--unimpressive, to say the least. Drawbacks aside, there's no reason to not upgrade if you're an old fan of IE, and there's even a few things in IE 8 for new users.
Publisher's Description
From Microsoft:
Internet Explorer 8 adds accelerators to provide instant access to information like maps, web searches, translations, email, blogging, and more; faster performance; a smart address bar; improved privacy protection; and Compatibility View for displaying websites designed for older browsers.
Internet Explorer is in the Web Browsers category of the Browsers section.
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Internet Explorer
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All versions:
2.4 starsout of 1,679 votes
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Current version:
2.4 starsout of 585 votes
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My rating:
Write review
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"JUST RESET IT'S SETTINGS IF YOU HAVE PROBLEMS WITH 'IE'"
Version: Internet Explorer 8
Pros
Internet explorer is a good browser with simple interface.
Cons
It seems to me that every program which I install wants to add something to internet explorer , and those toolbars and 'right click add-ons' are internet explorer's ''killers''. For me - everything which wants to add something permanently to my browser without asking is a malware ,and programs which does not warn you about those add-ons should not be installed .
Summary
Do reset to you're internet settings periodically , and you will have no trouble with it ...JUST GO TO - CONTROL PANEL - INTERNET OPTIONS - ADVANCED - RESET - and restart the browser after that,then you can change you're home page etc...
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"Bad version.... keep your current IE version."
Version: Internet Explorer 8
Pros
There are no pros.
Cons
They took away all of the comfort (what I was used to) and gave me a screen devoid of quick links. Additionally, videos don't load correctly, many of my work-based applications/websites crash or appear strange. PDFs load as if they're 8-bit. It's a really terrible version. I even had to move to chrome to submit this review. No wonder it's gotten such bad ratings.
I've gone to using Chrome exclusively when I was a pretty devout IE user.Summary
Just a bad version.
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"Fast, Stable and Secure"
Version: Internet Explorer 8
Pros
Fast, Stable and Secure
Cons
None that I can think of...
Summary
Great browser. Much better than IE 8. Much better than Chrome...
Chrome sucks... it is an over-hyped and over-rated system memory hog... and isn't as secure as many seem to think. Use a different browser. -
"keeps changing my settings"
Version: Internet Explorer 8
Pros
seems faster than previous versions but ...
Cons
changes my home page to MSN on every restart even though I keep changing it back to my custominzed MyYahoo page; on every internet visit (that could be twenty plus times a day) it gives me a pop up asking me to manage my add-ons - have tried adding and taking away - but the useless screen pops up everytime, won't let me go back to a previous version just to get rid of this BS; keeps adding bing search and other similiar stuff, even though I won't use it. I'm moving to another browser
Summary
Question is - which browser, don't want to use Chrome for the same reasons I don't use Google, too much tracking so just don't trust them. Have tried Gozilla but its got problems too. So just as I've changed to DuckDuckGo search which gives me google plus others without the tracking, will use a browser that combines others
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"Rubbish do something about it !"
Version: Internet Explorer 8
Pros
Works smooth sometimes !
Cons
Unstable and stopps working most of the time !
Summary
About as bad as Opera's dish and not very tasty !
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"Deadware!!!"
Version: Internet Explorer 8
Pros
-None I Can Think Of When It Comes To IE8
IE6 In Older Days (2002?-2008) Were Better, Then I See The Light Of Firefox Was A Way BetterCons
-Slow Loading Page
-Many Security Flaws
-Many Unnecessary Add-ons (Most Are Toolbars)
-NOT Customizable
-(Starting From IE9-Present) Snubs At Windows XP
-Prone To AdwareSummary
Use Firefox Instead.
Get Firefox. Better Browsing Experiences Than IE Crap
Updated on Apr 23, 2012 -
"The worst browser on earth! Explorer is out-of-date!"
Version: Internet Explorer 8
Pros
None at all!!! Even Explorer 9 has nothing exquisite to offer! Bear in mind that even the latest Explorer 9 is almost 10 years late in its functions and reactivity compared to the latest versions of Firefox 12, Opera 12 or Chrome 18!
Cons
I'm too lazy to mention all of them. They are so numerous. Besides, I find that Explorer doesn't deserve so much attention from my part!... Better use Chrome or Firefox instead! These are the browsers of the future... Certainly not Explorer, planned to die in a few years time...
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"what a piece of junk"
Version: Internet Explorer 8
Pros
couldn't find anything I liked
Cons
I have used Google Chrome for the last 6 months and whenever I run Advanced system care I never get malware. I downloaded IE9 wnet to my favorite sites like qvc, shop nbc, ect. when i ran asc I got 21 malware. Its slow and oh also when I went to download,com and used the search window I only got text.
Summary
Use Google Chrome or Firefox
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"Back To 1995"
Version: Internet Explorer 8
Pros
I'll just repeat what everyone else has said - IE8 is great to download another browser with.
Cons
It's a nostalgia kick back to 1995 with Windows 95 and dial-up...which was actually faster than the current IE8.
Summary
All you XP users - don't bother with this piece of rubbish - try another browser that is custom made for older computers - Pale Moon 3.6.30. www.palemoon.org.
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"IE 9 DONT BOTHER"
Version: Internet Explorer 8
Pros
NONE COME TO MIND
Cons
WHERE DO I START, ITS GOT SO MANY KEEP GETTING, IE CAN DISPLAY THE WEB PAGE. IT CRASHES EVERY OTHER DAY. ITS COMPLICATED AND DIFFICULT TO TRY AND FIX BECAUSE IT HAS THOUSANDS OF DIFFERENT FEATURES WHICH ARE HARD FOR ME TO UNDERSTAND LET ALONE SOMEONE WHO IS NEW TO COMPUTING IT HAS MAJOR SECURITY PROBLEMS AND YOU HAVE TO DOWNLOAD LOADS OF SECURITY FEATURES EVERY MONTH ITS VERY SLUGGISH IT TAKES UP NEARLY 300MB OF DISK SPACE WITH ALL ITS FEATURES SECURITY ISSUES ETC ETC I COULD GO ON AND ON. IT ANNOYS ME THAT EVERY COMPUTER YOU BUY HAS IE IN BEDDED IN ITS SYSTEM SO YOU CANT UNINSTALL IT
Summary
A PILE OF YOU KNOW WHAT
I SAID 300 MB WHAT I SHOULD OF SAID IS 3GB
Updated on Mar 23, 2012
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