Microsoft released the final version of the Internet Explorer 8 today.

Internet Explorer 8 is the latest version of the familiar web browser you are most comfortable using, helping you get everything you want from the web faster, easier, more privately and securely than ever before.

• Faster Internet Explorer 8 is more responsive with new pages and tabs, opening up fast and reliably. You can now get to the information you care about most, in fewer steps; one click access to your webmail, favorite news sites or other online services.
• Easier Reduce the steps to accomplish many common tasks, and automate your access to real time information updates. You can keep track of your favorite sports team, news, weather with a single click.
• More Private Helps protect your privacy and confidential information where ever you go on the web.
• More Secure Helps protect and stop malicious software from reaching your PC, and makes it easier to detect when a website is an imposter.

Microsoft released the official Internet Explorer 8 Release Candidate two days ago.

Internet Explorer 8 is the latest version of the familiar web browser you are most comfortable using, helping you get everything you want from the web faster, easier, more privately and securely than ever before.

• Faster Internet Explorer 8 is more responsive with new pages and tabs, opening up fast and reliably. You can now get to the information you care about most, in fewer steps; one click access to your webmail, favorite news sites or other online services.
• Easier Reduce the steps to accomplish many common tasks, and automate your access to real time information updates. You can keep track of your favorite sports team, news, weather with a single click.
• More Private Helps protect your privacy and confidential information where ever you go on the web.
• More Secure Helps protect and stop malicious software from reaching your PC, and makes it easier to detect when a website is an imposter.

The final version of the Internet Explorer 8 has been released on the 19th March 2009. Please read this post for more information and download links.

Microsoft updated the December Partner Build (RC1) of the Internet Explorer 8. This build contains the fix to MSRC MS08-078. Please read the IEBlog for more information. All Internet Explorer users should read the article above to ensure that they are safe.

Just as with the IE8 December Partner Build, this build represents a preview of Microsofts progress and is best used to verify issues fixed since releasing Beta 2. While the IE Team believes it to be of adequate quality for you to use, is not as extensively tested as a milestone build, so it is not meant for the general public but only for testing purposes.

The buildtag of this version is 8.00.6001.18344 (longhorn_ie8_rc1(wmbla).081211-1138).

The Official Release Candidate 1 of the Internet Explorer 8 has been released on the 26th January 2009. Please read this post for more information and download links.

The next milestone of the Internet Explorer 8 (RC1, “December Partner Build”) has been released to the Technical beta testers. This build represents a preview of Microsofts progress and is best used to verify issues fixed since releasing Beta 2. While Microsoft believes it to be of adequate quality for you to use, is not as extensively tested as a milestone build, so it is not meant for the general public but only for testing purposes.

The Release Candidate 1 of the Internet Explorer 8 has been updated on the 17th December. Please read this post for more information and download links.