However, I’ve decided to document the problems I find as I go along, just in case anyone else is thinking of switching to IE8b2 and wants to know if their favourite websites will work. I will update this page as I find new problems.

Note I’m still using IE8b2 for most of my browsing, despite these ‘issues’, and with some of the items below I haven’t tested compatibility mode.

• Zopa.com / Zopa.co.uk - the lending graphs simply don’t render in IE8. There are no errors, just lots of whitespace on the page.
• Facebook - chat doesn’t seem to work as far as I can tell. The window appears, you can type, but the person at the other end doesn’t seem to get sent what you’ve written.
• Wordpress (v2.5 tested) - on the New/Edit post screen, the text boxes are all messed up. It works fine in Compatibility mode though!

That’s it for now! Keep checking this page for updates.

Want to find out more about IE8? Why not read my other posts on the new browser…

• Introducing Internet Explorer 8
• The Browser Wars Are Back! (IE8 Beta 2 Released)

This latest version offers many enhancements and new features, including…

• Completely CSS 2.1 compliant
• New features including Accelerators and Web Slices
• Compatiblility mode (basically IE7 mode)
• InPrivate browsing - a new way to browse without leaving any traces. Your history, cookies, etc are not stored
• New Safety features including SmartScreen filter
• And much, much more

Of course, this is still only Beta 2. The final version is due to be released before Christmas, but this release seems very stable - in fact, this post is being written on IE8!

I can’t help feel though that we’re in for a new round of browser wars. Safari is getting better, we have Google Chrome (built on Safari), a new version of IE on the horizon, and of course Firefox. Let’s hope this time web developers aren’t caught in the middle!

Find out more and download at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/internet-explorer/beta/

UPDATE Click here for my regularly updated IE8 Beta 2 Buglist

Naturally I’ve installed it on a couple of my boxes to see what all the fuss is about. Here’s a screenshot…

So, what’s the verdict?

Well, first I have to say its REALLY fast. Like, ridiculously so. When you compare it to IE or even Firefox, the difference in speed is incredible.

Apart from that though, it’s not all that great. Nice interface, nice idea, but honestly Google, did you really think it was ready to be used by the world at large?!

Many sites I’ve tried aren’t working properly - even the ones which Google has designed Chrome for (the new web applications - web 2.0 if you like).

What’s more interesting though is the talk of why Google has decided to branch out into software, and particularly web browsers. Do they think they can compete against IE? Firefox can’t, so why should Google be any different? Or are they, like many commentators are indicating, worried that their whole revenue stream relies on advertising, which Microsoft could block in IE if it wished?

Personally, I think the latter is unlikely… can you imagine the anti-trust problems that would create?! Microsoft certainly don’t want to go there again.

So, why have they done it!? Why not share your thoughts (and your opinions on Chrome itself) in the comments?

You can find out more and download Google Chrome from www.google.com/chrome.

Your guide to mastering the Windows Vista Ultimate operating system

Personally, it feels more akin to the sort of flimsy manual you might have got with Windows 95, giving you vague information on lots of things you’ll probably end up not using.

Still, worth a read if you’re new to Vista Ultimate. You can download it free of charge here.

The Vista Battery Saver (download here) claims it can do this by “disabling those nice but greedy Vista features” - things like the Aero interface, for example.

Here it is in action…

You could probably achieve the same performance enhancements manually, but this small download gives you a quick and easy interface to tweak your battery usage.

UPDATE Thanks to Dave Webb, who mentioned this in a comment on yesterday’s post, ‘Vista Battery Checker‘. Coincidence, eh?

Download Vista Battery Saver now!

If you need detailed battery information (such as manufacturer, model, and even your battery quality) then this handy peice of software should be top of your list.

Download the Vista Battery Tracker here or Save up to 70% of your battery life

The idea is simple - to give you a heads up on some of the latest and most useful gadgets for your Vista Sidebar, available across the web.

This week, I thought I’d give a brief introduction to downloading and installing Sidebar gadgets from the Windows Live Gallery.

Microsoft’s Windows Live Gallery contains many free downloads including Sidebar gadgets, MSN display pictures and emoticons, games, and much more. You can get straight to the Vista Sidebar gadgets by visiting http://gallery.microsoft.com/sidebar/vista.mspx.

As you can see, there are many gadgets available. To install simply click the “DOWNLOAD” button, and you may be presented with the following popup…

This occurs for sidebar gadgets submitted by users. It’s up to you whether you take the risk with these, but I’ve not noticed any problems. If you’re happy, click “Install”. Next, you’ll see the following…

This is just a typical File Download dialog, so click “Open” to install immediately, or “Save” to keep it for later.

If you chose open, you may receive another dialog similar to the following…

Confirm installation, and your shiny new sidebar gadget will be installed immediately…

And that’s it! Your experience may be slightly different, depending on whether you’re an Administrator (if not, you may see an additional User Account Control dialog), but that’s the basic process.

Of course, there are many gadgets available on the net. Try this Google search for example…
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=vista+sidebar+gadgets&meta=

From now on, I’ll post a regular Sidebar Sunday feature showcasing a great Vista Sidebar gadget. I have a number of gadgets I’d like to show you, but why not share your favourite gadgets in the comments?!

Apparently, they are trying to break the Guiness World Record for the number of downloads in a 24hr period, so you may want to go download it and contribute to the record attempt.

There’s also an official FF3 launch party in New York, which you may wish to attend. More details courtesy of A VC.

What are you waiting for? Download Firefox 3 now! Better still, why not Download Internet Explorer 8 Beta 1?

Well I haven’t been very good at keeping you up to date with all things Vista recently have I? Shame on me!

Please accept my apologies, and be aware that I have great plans for AdventuresInVista over the coming months, including many tweaks to the blog and design, and loads and loads of great articles to show you how to get the most from Microsoft’s flagship operating system.

Hope you stick along for the journey!