There are many new features in Internet Explorer 8 (IE8), Microsoft’s browsing software, designed to access information on the Internet. This article explores some of the changes which will affect most users browsing the Internet. Four areas are covered: accelerators, tabs, web slices and the address bar.
Accelerators
Accelerators are designed to speed up browsing, by making common tasks quicker. For example, an address can be selected on a webpage and then using accelerators a map showing the location can be displayed. This avoids the need to copy or re-type information from one page to another.
Tabs
Many users will be familiar with tabs which were introduced in IE7 and allow a number of web pages to be opened within the same IE window.
New features in IE8 include:
- Tabs can now be reopened – particularly useful when one has been closed in error.
- Tabs can also be moved around, so if a long list of tabs is open and a user is switching between two, they can be moved to be next to each other, saving time scrolling right and left.
- Opening a new tab displays a list of ‘most visited’ websites, which can then be visited with one click.
- New tabs don’t always appear at the far right anymore. If a user opens a new tab from within page, the new tab opens next it – and they’re both color–coded to make it easier to see that they’re associated.
Address Bar and Toolbars
A user can type in a web address or search terms into the address bar and a list of relevant sites and searches will be displayed in a dropdown menu. One addition feature of IE8 means it is now possible to delete sites from the list displayed, so any incorrect addresses typed in previously can be removed. This saves time as incorrect addresses are no longer offered to the user and won’t be clicked accidentally.
The way web addresses are displayed has changed slightly. The actual domain name of the site being visited is now shown in a darker color, so users can identify the actual site being visited (helping to avoid fraud).
Finding specific information on a web page (CTRL+F) now works from a toolbar rather than opening a new floating window.
Web Slices
A user can also add a web slice to the toolbar, showing a small amount of automatically updated information from a web page (for example, latest news, or stock prices).
There are many changes in Internet Explorer 8 and this article has listed some of the new features most users will notice if they choose to upgrade.
Dawn Brewer - I have a portfolio career - as a writer, management consultant, instructor and coach - after twenty years in the corporate world. My ...
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