Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 launched

Microsoft has announced the launch of Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2, which is now available to download from its website.

Read Web User's initial impressions of IE8 Beta 2.

Though it isn't the final version, Microsoft said that it was intended for any competent surfer to use.

The company is keen to hear feedback from surfers so it can make improvements before the final version is released.

Several new features have been introduced into IE8, including Accelerators and Web Slices. Both features are intended to give surfers access to a variety of online services without having to leave the web page they are on.

Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 - watch the video

Digg is one of the companies that has worked with Microsoft on a Web Slice. It lets you see the top stories on Digg by simply clicking on a tab.

Bob Buch, vice president of Business Development at Digg, told Web User that it was a "much richer experience than an RSS feed".

Improvements have been made to security and reliability, with an InPrivate mode that lets you cover all traces of your surfing history and any passwords of private data that you may have entered.

Microsoft's senior product manager for Internet Explorer, Ryan Servatius, told Web User that Internet Explorer 8 is being treated as a completely separate project to Microsoft's next operating system, Windows 7, which is currently in development.

Feedback from the public will dictate the roadmap and final release date of the full version of Internet Explorer 8, said Servatius, but won't be affected by the actions of any competitors.

Mozilla is expected to release Firefox 3.1 before the end of the year and Microsoft said it was happy with the schedules it had kept as well as the features it had introduced.

"We think we made the right bets," Servatius told Web User.

However, Microsoft seems to enjoy the competition it has with Firefox and other browsers such as Opera and Safari. "We love to compete," Servatius said.

Microsoft currently has around a 75 per cent share of the global browser market, with Mozilla enjoying just over 15 per cent.

What do you think of Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2? Have your say in the Web User forums.

You can also check out our Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 video walkthrough.

www.microsoft.com/ie8