[Offtopic] Internet Explorer v8 released

[stephen at melbpc.org.au]

March 19, 2009 by Nigel Kendall, The Times (UK) Technology Editor 

Microsoft launches latest version of Internet Explorer

http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article5937995.e
ce
 
Microsoft will make the latest version of Internet Explorer, the world’s 
most popular web browser, available for download from 4pm (GMT) today 
(Thursday). 

Microsoft claims that the new Internet Explorer 8 (IE8) is faster, more 
user-friendly and more secure than previous versions. 

Steve Ballmer, the Chief Executive Officer of Microsoft, said: “With 
Internet Explorer 8, we are delivering a browser that gets people to the 
information they need, fast, and provides protection that no other 
browser can match.” 

One of the key new features of IE8 is “Accelerators”, which allow surfers 
to perform common tasks, such as looking up an address on a map, without 
navigating first to a separate website. 

Web users can also keep an eye on their favourite sites by using “Web 
Slices”, which are stored in the redesigned favourites bar and flash when 
a site is updated. 

Internet Explorer is currently used as a main browser on around 67 per 
cent of the world’s computers. 

This represents a decline from a peak of around 91 per cent in 2004, 
since which time rival browsers such as Mozilla’s Firefox, Apple’s Safari 
and, most recently, Google’s Chrome have started to eat into IE’s market 
share. 

On the internet, IE’s dominance has caused problems, as the browser’s 
ubiquity has made it a favourite target for hackers preying on its 
programming vulnerabilities. 

If Microsoft is to claw back some of its lost market share, it must 
convince people that the new IE is more secure. Microsoft claims that IE8 
offers the best security features among leading browsers, and that 
Internet Explorer 8 blocks two to four times as many malicious sites as 
competing browsers. 

Internet Explorer 8 will be available as a free download from 4pm (GMT), 
at http://www.microsoft.com/ie8 

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Cheers,
Stephen