Just a note to let y'all know of some unusual experiences... yes, I too am thinking of returning to IE 7 but have not done so (yet)

My install went fine into Windows XP. I had only one application that needed upgrading for IE 8. I have no known 'problems' per AdAware, Malware Bytes and Avast. But I have noticed some weird things.

* when the cursor moves around my list of favorites (to select the folder where I keep links to GardenWed), I notice that the cursor moves slow through there, even momentarily hangs. It does not do that elsewhere and the mouse has 2 week old batteries (I even tried temporarily swapping the batteries with others but no change). Very odd.

* When I connect to work via VPN, I have always had a problem with their certificate not being recognized. I just click on the 'continue anyway' link and move on.

To view email from work, I use OWA. But OWA now has two issues: (1) it times out or has a problem when checking the user/password (it should respond by displaying my Inbox Window). If I go back and re-enter the password, it eventually works; (2) when trying to view an email or reply/fwd, I get a certificate problem notice AGAIN. These issues are bound to be also related with software on my company's end but I just wanted to mention it.

* the Safety Menu's Delete Browsing History Window is now unnecessarily long and it just bugs me having to move the cursor all the way down the screen to Ok-it. Must be a pain with small screen PCs.

* The bold-ing and gray-ing of parts of the URL is an unusual change. I guess highlighting the information might make some people notice when they accidentally landed on the "wrong" URL (or were sent to the wrong one by PC infections) but hmmmph. It does not "do it" for me.

* I measured a total of 2" worth of menus, Yahoo toolbars and tab names stuff. On this 15" old PC Monitor, it consumes a lot of space before I get to the webpage that I called up. Seems as if I have more clutter now on the top of IE 8's window just above the webpages. Brother.

I guess I will rate it a 'C-' as I have not found anything that I use that looks better or feels easier. Maybe it is safer? Oh well.... It probably happens on all software as it gets older and does everything sort of ok. Then the company has to change it and messes things up or ends up adding things of lesser value... but I digress...