RSSIE8 automatic update option likely to begin next week
By Scott M. Fulton, III | Published April 13, 2009, 12:13 PM
In a heads-up message on the company's IE blog over the Easter weekend, Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 lead program manager Eric Hebenstreit warned users that as soon as next week, some Windows users will be automatically given the option of downloading IE8. It will not be a massive land rush, and as Hebenstreit repeated, the company's new Web browser will not automatically install itself.
"IE8 will not automatically install on machines," the program manager wrote, emphasizing what will be Microsoft's general policy in this new and more careful era of interoperability. "Users must opt-in to install IE8."
So although users with Automatic Updates turned on may receive something next week, that something will not be the Web browser itself. Instead, it will be a "High Priority" (for XP and Windows Server 2003) or "Important" (for Vista and Windows Server 2008) "Welcome to Internet Explorer 8" message, giving the user the option of bothering her about the matter later, installing IE8 now, or not installing IE8 at all. Automatic Update won't bother the user about it again, Hebenstreit wrote, though she'll still be able to install IE8 manually if she changes her mind later.
Last January, Microsoft began distributing for larger enterprises an IE8 Blocker Toolkit, a policy-based mechanism enabling admins to prevent their clients' automatic updates from receiving the Welcome Message package if they elect to remain with IE7 (or earlier). However, general users need not download this toolkit if they want to block the automatic update themselves. As the instructions reveal, the policy simply creates a new Registry key, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Setup\8.0\DoNotAllowIE80. If that key exists and its value is set to 1, then automatic distribution of the IE8 Welcome package will be blocked, according to the company.
IE 8 on Windows Vista Sp1 can cause some web pages to crash a tab and reload twice. Sometimes, after the second attempt, IE 8 will show the "diagnose" tab. IE 8 is still BETA software!!!!!!!
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|Since upgrading I've found for some reason, windows explorer takes ages to open, same with file/save dialogues. This is on Vista 64.
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|Probably because it still sucks compared to the competition?
*shrug*
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|I just updated on an SP3 XP machine.
Besides a few frills it looks identical to IE7 but seems to operate faster.
I'm happy enough with it but if I want a change I can always use Opera or Firefox.
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|"Users must opt-in to install IE8."
Bloody typical. The one time you WANT them to force something on users, they don't do it.
I hope to goodness that it does increase the numbers a great deal, though.
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|bah, i still say that they should force it, for the sake of standards, and have the world update their sites.
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|"giving the user the option of bothering her about the matter later, installing IE8 now, or not installing IE8 at all. Automatic Update won't bother the user about it again, Hebenstreit wrote, though she'll still be able to install IE8 manually if she changes her mind later."
Well, at least it's only bugging the female users about this. ;-)
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|The nerve, not using a gender neutral pronoun!
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|This must have been set up by a man. If it had been a woman, it would have been nagging only the male users, every time Automatic Update ran, forever. ;)
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|I'm surprised you only noticed this now -- I alternate references between genders rather than use "one / one's" or "they / their," which in my opinion sound snooty / uncoordinated, respectively.
-SF "More Than One Route to Equality" 3
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|*shrug*
Not nerve....just amusing.
@dkratter: Ouch! :p
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|I was merely trying to point out how english has no official gender neutral pronoun.
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|really????
While the folks in the South don't get it and think its only refers to men (I get a kick out of the number of times I have heard "but I'm not a guy"), "you guys
' or simply "guys", or the oh so quaint "you all/y'all" ~~~~~ works as a gender neutral (meaning no one to whom it might be used in reference) has a gender.
But "youse guys" is simply wrong! ...the result of a serious regional inbreeding!!!!!
But it seems only fair that Some group should be able to claim that their rights are being descriminated against!
;-))))
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|Victimized by a pronoun...
Just wait, it'll be a level 3 sex offense in just a matter of years. ;-)
(...and do you really have 4 chins, Foxy?)
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