Internet Explorer 8 released by Microsoft

Thursday 19 March 2009 | By Heidi Scott, Gosh! Media Copywriter

Microsoft has launched Internet Explorer 8 at MIX09, the corporation's web designer and developer conference in Las Vegas. The official release of IE8 – ahead of the version that will appear in Windows 7 – follows widespread use of the RC1 release candidate version of the new browser, which many users have downloaded.

New features in IE8 – which Microsoft claims is far more standards-compliant than earlier versions – include Accelerators and Web Slices. Accelerators enable users to find information and access services without leaving their current webpage. They allow users to do all kinds of things – such as blog, get definitions, view maps, get directions, send e-mail and translate phrases – more easily. You simply highlight text on any webpage, click on the Accelerator icon and choose the task you want to perform from a drop-down menu.

Web Slices allow users to keep track of frequently updated websites directly from the new IE8 favourites bar. Click on a Web Slice icon when visiting a page, and that 'slice' of the web will remain in your favourites bar for instant access whenever you want it.

Microsoft has also included some interesting privacy and security measures, such as InPrivate browsing, which helps prevent your browsing history, temporary Internet files, form data, cookies, user names and passwords from being retained by the browser, thus leaving no evidence of your browsing or search history. Microsoft says it has improved numerous security features in IE8. The SmartScreen filter, for example, adds protection from malware by presenting users with a warning or blocking screen when a malicious site is visited or an attempt is made to download a malicious file. Microsoft-sponsored, independent research shows that IE8 RC1 was 69% effective at halting malware before any damage was inflicted, a better performance than Firefox 3.07 (30%), Safari 3 (24%) or Chrome (16%).

IE8 can also prevent cross-site scripting and click-jacking. IE8's integral cross-site scripting filter can detect these types of attacks and disable the harmful scripts. Phishing sites are immediately flagged as such and deceptive URLs are weeded out by IE8's Domain Highlighting facility.

Users are tending to notice IE8's increased speed compared to IE6 and IE7, but many pundits believe it's not as fast as other browsers that don't boast as many features and add-ons – such as Chrome and Safari. Microsoft has shouted down the criticism. The company has released a video that it claims shows that IE8 is faster at loading a number of key sites, while also trying to downplay the difference in speed to the average user. "In most cases the difference could literally be measured by a blink of an eye," said Microsoft Senior Director of Product Management, Amy Barzdukas, in a recent interview.

The increased security measures of IE8 mean that it would be beneficial for existing Internet Explorer users to upgrade but, surprisingly, Microsoft does not seem to be pushing the download that hard. Faced with declining market share – from more than 90% in 2004 to just above 70% at the end of 2008.

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