Microsoft launches feature-complete version of IE8

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By Tim Danton

Posted on 27 Aug 2008 at 20:18

Principle program manager Paul Cutsinger was also keen to point out that between now and the time of final release, Microsoft will be working hard on performance issues.

"We're constantly improving - we have a bunch of tests we run day after day and we go after things and fix them. In the period from beta 2 and RTM [release to manufacture] we're going to be very aggressive with crashes."

Microsoft is being similarly coy about exactly when RTM will be: no matter how we asked the question, the answer was "when the product is ready". This side of Christmas looks likely, however.

Conclusion
At first glance, Internet Explorer 8 beta 2 looks impressive. The new features could be genuinely useful, and we've only covered a handful here.

We'll be trying it out over the next few days to see how it behaves in the real world, and put Microsoft's claims to the test. We can say for sure, though, that it's the most serious threat to Firefox's crown as browser of choice among IT enthusiasts, and professionals, that we've yet seen.