BREAKING NEWS !!!: Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 RC1 is now available.

You know I work at Microsoft, and that I love technology.  Sometimes I love Microsoft technology so much that I can’t wait to tell people about it, and this is one of those times.  Microsoft has just released the Release Candidate 1 for Internet Explorer 8 , and I think you should install it and use it today.

You may want to know what a “release candidate” is:  that’s techno-speak for an almost-final version of software, like a sneak preview.

Internet Explorer 8 RC1 is much faster than previous versions of Internet Explorer, so you’ll notice that difference right away.  But you’ll also notice some cool new features that will make your surfing experience faster and easier—not mention a whole lot safer.

• Highlight a street address in your Hotmail, Yahoo Mail, or other web mail account, right-click on the blue button that appears, and hover over “Map with Live Search.”  Presto!  You’ll see the map with the location right there—no more copying and pasting street addresses from web mail to a mapping site.  Plus, you can choose what mapping service you want to use.
• Go to the search box in the top right, and type a search item—see how the enhanced Instant Search Box is more helpful, providing real-time search suggestions, including images, from your chosen search provider.
• Click on a new tab, and see the options that are presented there, including “InPrivate Browsing.”  Click InPrivate Browsing and watch what happens—you are now in a browser session that is leaving no trail behind, so research gift suggestions for your significant other to your heart’s content without worrying about who might pick up the crumbs after you. 

Harder to see are the many security enhancements that will help keep you protected against the ever-evolving online threats—things like protection from cross-site scripting attacks that no other browser offers.

Let me know what you think of IE8 RC1. DOWNLOAD NOW !!!!