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NewsFactor - Microsoft warned developers preparing to download the new Beta 2 release of Internet Explorer 8 that under certain conditions those who have already installed IE8 Beta 1 cannot revert to older iterations of the browser. Tags: microsoft

Microsoft warned developers preparing to download the new Beta 2 release of Internet Explorer 8 that under certain conditions those who have already installed IE8 Beta 1 cannot revert to older iterations of the browser.

For Windows XP users with IE8 Beta 1 already installed, Windows XP Service Pack 3 and IE8 Beta 2 would become permanent, said Jane Maliouta, the deployment product manager for IE8 at Microsoft. "You will still be able to upgrade to later IE8 builds as they become available, but you won't be able to uninstall them," she said.

Incompatibility Issues

Developers will need to be careful because IE8 Beta 2 will not work with several key services, applications and add-on programs, including certain versions of the Google Toolbar, RealPlayer and Skype, and is even incompatible with Microsoft products and services, such as Visual Studio .NET and Windows Live Mail. IE8 Beta 2 users also are currently unable to view movies on demand from Netflix, though Microsoft said the two companies are working to resolve the compatibility issue as quickly as possible.

Maliouta strongly encouraged those who have already downloaded IE8 Beta 1 to follow several steps before installing the new Beta 2 version. First uninstall the Beta 1 version and SP3 for Windows XP, followed by reinstalling SP3, and only then install IE8 Beta 2.

"If you have IE8 Beta 1 installed, the IE8 installer will automatically uninstall any earlier versions and then install the latest version of IE8 Beta 2 for you," Maliouta said. "You will be prompted to reboot twice. The first reboot is to remove IE8 Beta 1 from your machine and the second one to complete the IE8 Beta 2 installation."

According to Microsoft, IE8 Beta 1 was only intended for use by developers. Consumers running Windows XP need not worry about downloading IE8... Tags: mac, microsoft

Facebook filed an intellectual-property lawsuit in California Friday claiming that German social network StudiVZ copied its look, feel, features and services. With more than 10 million customers, StudiVZ is the most popular social network in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Comparisons of Facebook and StudiVZ show striking similarities in layout, function and form, with only minor differences. Some users have commented it is just "Facebook in German." The Facebook lawsuit also says knockoffs of its site may not perform well, and thereby damage the image of the original.

A significant difference between StudiVZ and Facebook, however, is the segregation of various audiences in the StudiVZ realm: it offers separate sites for students and nonstudents.

Critics allege the social-networking sites are identical except for their color and language -- Facebook is blue, while StudiVZ is red.

Sour Grapes?

Facebook showed interest in acquiring the German site last year, but it was scooped up by the German publishing group Georg von Holtzbrinck for more than $100 million in January 2007.

Marcus Riecke, CEO of StudiVZ, commented Monday, "Now that Facebook, despite trying hard, has not been successful in the German market, the company seeks to obstruct StudiVZ through court action. Their strategy appears to be: If you can't beat them, sue them."

This isn't Facebook's only overseas competitor -- China's Xiaonei, looking much like the U.S. company's site, even trumpets that it is the "Facebook of China." But with a rumored $400 million in its coffers, Facebook may have to think twice about pursuing them. Xianonei has even more subscribers and page views than StudiVZ.

Merits of the Suit

"Look and feel" lawsuits have met with mixed results in the past in the U.S. In the 1980s Lotus successfully stopped competitors from copying the user interface of its spreadsheet program, while Apple fought Microsoft to a draw over the look and... Tags: microsoft