Support for Web Standards in IE8

Hi,

Microsoft Corp. is configuring the settings in Internet Explorer 8, the 
upcoming version of its browser, to make standards-based rendering the 
default mode [1].

Internet Explorer 8 has been designed to include three rendering modes:
- one that reflects Microsoft’s implementation of current Web standards,
- a second reflecting Microsoft’s implementation of Web standards at the 
time of the release of Internet Explorer 7 in 2006,
- and a third (Quirk) based on rendering methods dating back to the 
early Web.

"Our initial plan had been to use IE7-compatible behavior as the default 
setting for IE8, to minimize potential impact on the world’s existing 
Web sites. We have now decided to make our most current standards-based 
mode the default in IE8." said Ray Ozzie, Microsoft chief software 
architect

"there is a concrete benefit to Web designers if all vendors give 
priority to interoperability around commonly accepted standards as they 
evolve. After weighing these very legitimate concerns, we have decided 
to give top priority to support for these new Web standards".

Last but not least...
“While we do not believe there are currently any legal requirements that 
would dictate which rendering mode must be chosen as the default for a 
given browser, this step clearly removes this question as a potential 
legal and regulatory issue,” said Brad Smith, Microsoft senior vice 
president and general counsel.


Best regards,
Najib Tounsi

[1] 
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2008/mar08/03-03WebStandards.mspx

-- 
Najib TOUNSI (mailto:tounsi @ w3.org)
W3C Office in Morocco (http://www.w3c.org.ma/)
Ecole Mohammadia d'Ingenieurs, BP 765 Agdal-RABAT Maroc (Morocco)
Phone : +212 (0) 37 68 71 50 Fax : +212 (0) 37 77 88 53
Mobile: +212 (0) 61 22 00 30

Received on Monday, 14 April 2008 12:33:59 UTC