IE8 Full-FeatureTest Release Due August

[engine]

Microsoft Corp said on Tuesday it plans to test-release a feature-complete version of its Internet Explorer 8 Web browser in August.

Microsoft released a first test version of IE 8 in March, providing developers and Web designers a preview of the latest update to the world's most widely-used browser.

The next test release, IE 8 Beta 2, will be targeted more at ordinary Web users. It will come with all the features that the browser will have when it is officially launched -- although it may still contain bugs, since it is a test version.

Microsoft has not set an official release date for IE 8. The company released Internet Explorer 7 in October 2006.

IE8 Full-FeatureTest Release Due August [reuters.com]

[poppyrich]

Yeah, it was announced on the IE blog earlier this week.

Support for 30 languages in Beta 2.
Personally, I'm expecting at least a Beta 3 before a release candidate, as well.
IE8 marks a real departure - not a prettied-up bug fix release like IE7. (With a metatag that can put the browser in "emulateIE7" mode, of course.)
And I get the feeling the IE team isn't under any fixed time pressure and is under orders NOT to take any chances.

Should be a very solid release, by all indications.