Internet Explorer 8 RC-1 released!
Internet Explorer 8, Release Candidate 1 (aka “IE8 RC1”) has just been released for Windows XP, Vista, and Windows Server 2008 (64-bit, too). However, the RC will not be available for download by Windows 7 Beta testers because IE8 already ships with the Windows 7 Beta OS.
Also new in IE8 is private browsing, my favorite feature the much improved inline search, an improved search bar, automatic crash recovery, and tab groups(more on this later)
What You Need to Know About RC1
Specifically, in IE8 RC1:
- If you are a Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008 user and you are upgrading from IE8 Beta 1 or Beta 2 to IE8 RC1, you are no longer required to manually uninstall earlier IE8 builds. Instead, IE8 RC1 installer will automatically upgrade your machine from the earlier IE8 builds to the latest IE8 build, all with a single reboot.
- There is a new pre-requisite for IE8 RC1 (KB957388). This update supersedes KB943302 and KB957055 and will be automatically installed as part of your RC1 upgrade, as long as you keep “Install the latest updates” checkbox checked. This update addresses known application compatibility issues in Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 and improves the performance and reliability of IE8.
- All IE8 Beta 1 and Beta 2 users will be offered IE8 RC1 via Windows Update in 25 languages. For Windows XP and Windows Server 2003, the IE language that gets offered via Windows Update will match the base OS language. For Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008, the IE language that gets offered via Windows Update will match the Active Language that the user selected for their account.
You can get more information about system requirements and installation on the IE Blog.
In case you have trouble finding the files, here they are:
Windows XP 32-bit
Server 2003 32-bit
Windows XP and Server 2003 64-bit
Vista and Server 2008 32-bit
Vista and Server 2003 64-bit
