Microsoft Internet Explorer 8: Finally the Time has Come

REDMOND - After two beta tests and a soft release, Microsoft Corp is all set to officially launch its latest internet browser Thursday night.

The company will launch Internet Explorer 8 (IE8) at 9:30 p.m. Indian time, an official statement said.

Microsoft, whose share in the browser market took a beating with the emergence of rivals like Mozilla’s Firefox, Google’s Chrome and Apple’s Safari, is aiming to regain its lost ground with the new browser.

Microsoft’s market share dropped to about 67 percent last month as compared to over 90 percent three years ago.

IE8 can be freely downloaded in 25 languages from Microsoft’s website, the company said.

The browser will include features like ‘accelerators,’ which allow users to highlight text on a website and choose from a variety of functions, including search engines, language translation or map displays and ‘InPrivate View’ wherein users will be able to browse without leaving any traces like history or cookies behind

IE, being bundled as the default browser of the Windows Operating system, has helped the company achieve the strong market share it now enjoys. However, Microsoft has been in the dock for the same.

European regulators said in January that Microsoft was in breach of anti-trust rules by bundling IE with its Windows operating system.

Meanwhile, rumours have also surfaced in the blogosphere that this might be the last version of IE Microsoft will release before pulling the plug on its browser business.

Microsoft has not made any plans public about its browser development beyond IE8, but maintains that it is committed to the browser business.