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:2006-10-28
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:2006-04-10
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