IE8 will be the only browser not to support opacity

30 March 2008 Morten Internet Explorer

I recently blogged about that IE8 beta1 currently doesn't have any support for the CSS3 opacity property or the alpha filters that is used in IE5.5/IE6/IE7. Microsoft had noted in one of their whitepapers that they would plan on adding some CSS3 support based on customer feedback. The lack of opacity is one of the most requested features in their bug tracking system, so natually I figured that they were going to add opacity to a future beta.

However, this week the IE team wrote that they are NOT going to include this in IE8 but will consider it for a future version.

This would make IE8 the only browser to not support any form of opacity, and "break" A LOT of exisiting websites, tools etc. that rely on this (including several of Microsoft's own websites and API's). I'm flabbergasted.

If you as me think this is wrong, go and sign up for the IE8 beta program and vote and comment on this issue.

Click here to sign up for the IE8 beta program. Afterwards you should be able to see, vote and comment on the opacity bug entry:

https://connect.microsoft.com/IE/feedback/ViewFeedback.aspx?FeedbackID=331735

Update: Beta 2 just released and Scott Dickens had promised the filters would be back in IE8 for beta2. Doesn't seem like it though! (and why the filters anyway??? why not do it like everyone else and use opacity)

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Comments (9) -

  • John
    I completely agree, how are we supposed to layer tiles if we can't set some opacity. You have my vote.
    Will IE8 support the alpha channel in .PNG files? I know this isn't a complete solution but it solves many template type issues.

    IE8 will be the only browser not to support opacity
    31 March 2008 - Reply
  • Brian Flood
    flabbergasted describes my reaction as well. I can't think of a single reason why this has been left out.
    31 March 2008 - Reply
  • Beerwin
    If IE8 will not support opacity, it will be a stepback in after IE7. IE7 works well both with opacity and PNG alpha channel.
    IF this gonna happen, i will stop supporting IE in my further designs and templates, and never upgrade to IE 8. It will be good for nothing.
    02 April 2008 - Reply
  • Renato Bebić
    We, web developers can make difference by blocking web pages to IE users and/or suggesting them to use Firefox or Safari which are greatest browsers.

    IE8Beta supports PNG's alpha channel but no style.filter or style.opacity, IE7 supported them both, but in combination style.filter would reset PNG's semitransparent pixels in alpha channel to opaque and that did not look well.

    This is only one of problems that IE8 has, other one is very slow rendering. Microsoft can learn from Apple on that.
    06 May 2008 - Reply
  • Morten
    We, web developers can make difference by blocking web pages to IE users

    Yeah that sounds like a great idea... block out more than half the websurfers out there, and the majority of major corporations. Try selling that idea to your boss...
    06 May 2008 - Reply
  • Caesar
    Can't comment on the bug page - the bastards won't let me join Connect for another year! :{
    But I agree that it's totally ridiculous to remove support for transparency; as someone said above, it's the only fault in IE - and I consider it a bug, even if it's a deliberate one.
    Hopefully IE developers will see the amazing volume of negative feedback on the web.

    Posted from IE8 - sorry.
    07 May 2008 - Reply
  • Caesar
    When I said it's the only fault - obviously not the only fault altogether - but hte only major fault and certainly the only regression! And of course when I wrote IE i meant IE 8 specifically...

    I'd like to point out that whilst blocking IE is obviously a stupid idea for any single website that makes money from its visitors etc, if we, the entire webdev community[\i], bloced IE on all (or almost all) websites, then everyone would be forced to swich to better browsers. Can't see this happening though... Would require too much coordination for everyone to strt at once, and cause loss of profits to anyone who started before [i]everyone had. Not sure of the legalities of deliberately blocking baced on their choice (or lack thereof) of browser, anyway.
    07 May 2008 - Reply
  • Renato Bebić
    I have been working on windows system and moving or resizing them is so SLOW in IE 7/8. Also I had to block some functionality that would not work anyway like fading windows, and tell users that they will have performance issues. Annoying pop up is nice ;).

    BTW, try opening this in IE8 http://www.chesspark.com/play/ (not add), who can tell why is that window not centered and why i cant move it!? This is rhetorical question, i don't really want to know, the important thing is that it worked well in IE7 and now after logging in this beautiful application is broken, this means that IE8 destroyed someones work after all users get it from automatic update.
    07 May 2008 - Reply

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