Like most, when I heard the next version of internet explorer (IE8) was around the corner, I thought northing of trying out the beta version. Especially since it was in Beta 2! The new version of IE has a host of new & interesting features.

They consist of;
 

InPrivate Browsing

  

Internet Explorer 8 can disable adding any of the websites you visit to your Browsing History, should you choose to enable this option..

 

Accelerators

Accelerators allow you to complete your everyday browsing activities more quickly and even discover new services. You can start mapping, translating, emailing, and more in just a few mouse clicks.  

Web Slices

  

Keep up with changes to the sites you use most. Add a Web Slice and you won’t have to go back to the same website again and again for updates on news, stock quotes, online auctions, weather, or even sports scores.

 

Search suggestions

 

Search smarter with detailed suggestions from your favourite search providers and browsing history. See visual previews and get suggested content topics while you type in the enhanced Instant Search Box.

  

SmartScreen Filter

 

New security features help to protect you against deceptive and malicious websites which can compromise your data, privacy, and identity

 

Compatibility View

 

Internet Explorer 8′s built-in Compatibility View button enables you to display websites that were designed for older browsers. Simply press the Compatibility View button if you see display problems on a website like misaligned text, images, or text boxes. It’s located next to the Refresh button on the Address Bar.

 

As great as IE 8 will be, I have learned to never install any beta software on a machine I intend to work on. Patience is definitely a virtue! The browser would consistently crash, network connectivity was intermittent and some websites would not display correctly (despite the compatibility view add-in).

 

In the end I had to remove the software and go back to Internet Explorer 7. I have absolutely no doubt that Microsoft will iron out the problems during the beta testing but I have learned to forget about seeing it first, and to learn from other peoples mistakes, not my own.