Internet Explorer 8 fights back

Microsoft keeps Internet Explorer at the heart of its' strategy with the release of version 8.

Microsoft sees market share being lost to rivals Firefox, Chrome and Safari, with Mozilla (Firefox) now breaking the 20% share barrier for the first time ever.

Amy Barzdukas from Microsoft makes a strong claim "We have made IE 8 the best browser for the way people really do use the web," The beta was launched way back in March 2008, but the final release candidate has just surfaced. 

IE 8 offers performance upgrades to speed up page loading, new navigation features and tab isolation so that if you hit a bad site only that tab closes and not the whole browser.  Another interesting new feature is "WebSlices" which will give users a way to keep updated about a particular item on a web page like stock prices, the weather or an eBay auction.  Accelerators will also let users access Web services like maps or translations in a small window, without the annoyance of having to leave the page.

Microsoft are also claiming it to be the most secure browser on the web, including "InPrivate Filtering" which means users can see and block when a third-party content provider might be tracking their browsing activities - a method used often for online advertising.

Web publishers and online advertisers have in the past expressed concern over this feature because it could "frustrate the business model", and may have implication for web analytics data.