Microsoft plans to offer one more public test version of Internet Explorer 8 before releasing the final version of the updated browser, the company said late Wednesday.
The next test, essentially a "release candidate" version will come in the first quarter of 2009. That means the final release won't hit Microsoft's initial goal of finishing the browser this year. "Our next public release of IE (typically called a "release candidate") indicates the end of the beta period," general manager Dean Hachamovitch said in a blog posting, "We want the technical community of people and organizations interested in Web browsers to take this update as a strong signal that IE8 is effectively complete and done."
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Member since:
2006-10-10
Member since:2007-01-18
Not that I use IE as my main browser, but I've been testing out version 8 beta 2 and not had any problems with it. It's even nice that most of the websites I design work in it without the need to fix CSS for IE only.
Of course I still prefer Firefox, Opera, or Safari over IE.
Member since:2006-10-10
Member since:
2006-02-19
My god this is taking a very long time--almost two and a half/three years for a browser update (and it took them five years to go from 6 to 7). I am really looking forward to significant further penetration from the already excellent alternative browsers.
If Microsoft continues to fail to "release early and release often," the game will be over for them before they know it.
Edited 2008-11-21 01:22 UTC
Member since:2006-10-28
They are certainly taking their time but it is nowhere near game over yet. About 3 out of every 4 computers still use IE because it's bundled with Windows and it does what most people need so they don't bother getting anything better. Bundling IE with Windows was one of the smartest and most evil decisions Microsoft ever made. It led to the obliteration of it's competitors and the beginning of an era of vendor lock-in and incompatibility. And it's domination is not going away anytime soon, despite the criticism.
Member since:2007-01-18
Don't forget a lot of business use IE because it is manageable through windows domains and while a lot of sites aren't specific to IE anymore their are still a lot that are. Specifically government run sites.
I find some irony in that as well. They sue them for being a monopoly and then turn right around and support that monopoly.
Member since:2005-08-18
Member since:2006-10-31
Member since:2005-08-18
http://www.frontmotion.com/FMFirefoxCE/index.htm
Edited 2008-11-24 11:47 UTC
Member since:2006-04-10
Member since:
2005-12-18
Member since:2008-11-22
Member since:2007-02-17
I doubt it vey much.
IE7 has only recently passed IE6, and IE8 usage doesn't even register yet.
Firefox alone has significantly more than 25%, and more than any single version of IE.
If a significant number of people haven't yet moved off IE6, they are hardly going to be instant adopters of IE8 are they?
Finally ... IE8 still falls a long, long way short of standards compliance. It is significantly better than IE6 and even IE7, but still miles behind any other contemporary browser in use today with measurable market share.
Member since:
2006-10-31
Maybe they just need some more time to replace the engine with webkit... 
More seriously though, I hope that delay is due to them working hard on a faster javascript engine. Because like it or not, IE is not going away so it might as well be more bearable to develop for and to use.
Member since:
2007-08-05
It's no secret that the next version Internet Explorer get released along side the next version of Windows.
Don't expect this to come out until around Windows 7 comes.
IE4: Windows 98
IE5: Windows 98 SE
IE5.5: Windows ME
IE6: Windows XP
IE7: Windows Visita
IE8: Windows 7
After all, you could say Internet Explorer and Windows are the same thing.
Anyway, who cares, we all use Firefox, Opera, and Safari now.
Member since:2005-07-06
Don't expect this to come out until around Windows 7 comes.
IE4: Windows 98
IE5: Windows 98 SE
IE5.5: Windows ME
IE6: Windows XP
IE7: Windows Visita
IE8: Windows 7
After all, you could say Internet Explorer and Windows are the same thing.
Anyway, who cares, we all use Firefox, Opera, and Safari now.
IE 7 was released several months before Vista was released.
Also, IE 6 was released several months before XP.
Also, IE 5 was released several months before Win98SE.
So there goes your entire line of reasoning.
Member since:2005-09-15
Don't expect this to come out until around Windows 7 comes.
After all, you could say Internet Explorer and Windows are the same thing.
Anyway, who cares, we all use Firefox, Opera, and Safari now.
IE 7 was released several months before Vista was released.
Also, IE 6 was released several months before XP.
Also, IE 5 was released several months before Win98SE.
So there goes your entire line of reasoning. "
So IE8 will be released "several months" before the next Windows version according to the data you provided.
When will that be?
Member since:2005-07-06
When will that be?
Who knows, this is MS after all. I was just correcting the parent poster by saying that MS has almost always in the past released the newest version of IE a few months before the Windows release it will be included in. No doubt to iron out any last second bugs and get patches included in the subsequent Windows release.
Member since:
2005-09-15
