Internet Explorer 8: Cool New Features for Everyday Browsing

Microsoft is hoping that IE8’s new browsing features, such as Web Slices and In-Private Browsing, will win over frustrated IE7 users and keep Firefox, Safari and Chrome at bay. Here’s a look inside some of IE8’s better bells and whistles.

CIO — A lot is riding on the success of Internet Explorer 8. Microsoft lost 7 percent browser market share in the past year because of users’ unhappiness with Internet Explorer 7 and the emergence of the Firefox and Safari browsers.

Slow installation and the addition of tabbed browsing and other features that were already available in Firefox, Safari and Google’s Chrome were just some of the criticisms lobbed at IE7.

IE8 — in release candidate mode since January — will likely be the target of similar copy-cat accusations because current browsers offer many of the same navigation features.

That said, IE8 does offer some cool new bells and whistles. Here are seven new and enhanced IE8 browsing features that Microsoft hopes will restore Internet Explorer’s market position and cool the buzz on the flourishing Firefox.

Read more: cio.com