Microsoft planning to 'push' upgrades to IE8

[40hz]

Microsoft would very much like you to upgrade Internet Explorer to version 8. So much so, that they're planning another 'push' install via their Automatic Update system. Shades of IE7!

An IE8 blocker is available at this link:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=21687628-5806-4BA6-9E4E-8E224EC6DD8C&displaylang=en

There's a nice write-up about this on Mary Jo Foley's All About Microsoft blog over at ZDNet.

As it has done with previous Internet Explorer (IE) releases, Microsoft has made available an IE 8 blocking toolkit to allow users to keep Microsoft’s browser from being downloaded automatically on their Windows machines.

In a January 6 posting to the Microsoft IE blog, company officials noted that Microsoft is planning to push the final IE 8 release via its Automatic Update (AU), Windows Update (WU) and Microsoft Update (MU) update systems. To keep the release from being pushed, customers can download the blocker toolkit from the Microsoft Download Center.

You can read the full article here:

http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=1794

[Josh]

I actually think IE8 is a vast improvement over IE7 and would have no issues deploying it on any network I maintain.

[lanux128]

Microsoft should be more worried about users who are still stuck with IE6 and lack the know-how to upgrade the browser or change it outright..

[Carol Haynes]

I haven't used IE8 that much (as I mostly use Firefox) but I haven't noticed any strange behaviour.

One thing is if you want to hide a toolbar you must deactivate the addin that is responsible for the toolbar. I suppose it makes sense but seems a bit unnecessary.

[40hz]

I actually think IE8 is a vast improvement over IE7 and would have no issues deploying it on any network I maintain.

I'd still like to wait for the initial flurry of security patches that tend to follow most new IE releases. I'm thinking something like a July-August deployment. 

[Charleybriz]

Hi...wondering if people are finding IE8 crash's easily, and is slow loading at start up? I run XP Pro sp3, went back to IE7.
thanks

[techidave]

I found it would close on XP SP3 and always said it would close but it hardly ever did.  I thought it was faster than both 6 or 7 but the crashing always bothered me so I went back to IE 6.