Click here to download Beta 1 of IE8 from Microsoft
This might be the biggest news for the web in the last 10 years. Microsoft has finally decided to make a standards-compliant browser. And no screwing around with special tags to make it that way - they are putting their balls out and making it standards compliant by default!
From the horse's mouth: (http://blogs.msdn.com/ie/archive/2008/03/03/microsoft-s-interoperability-principles-and-ie8.aspx)
"Microsoft recently published a set of Interoperability Principles. Thinking about IE8’s behavior with these principles in mind, interpreting web content in the most standards compliant way possible is a better thing to do.
We think that acting in accordance with principles is important, and IE8’s default is a demonstration of the interoperability principles in action. While we do not believe any current legal requirements would dictate which rendering mode a browser must use, this step clearly removes this question as a potential legal and regulatory issue. As stated above, we think it’s the better choice.
The rest of this blog post provides context around the different modes, the technical challenge, and what it means going forward."
In a completely surprise move, Microsoft today released the Beta 1 of IE8 after MIX08 conference.
"This morning at the MIX conference in Las Vegas, the IE team made eight announcements about IE8. The most interesting for many people is that a developer beta is now available."
Click here to download Beta 1 of IE8 from Microsoft
Firefox 4 Alpha 1 also got released today for Windows and Linux... did someone at Mozilla know IE8 was coming?
Click here if you live on the edge and want to try Mozilla Firefox 4 Alpha 1
According to ZDNet, Firefox 3 beta 4 is frozen now, but a fifth beta is required before moving to release candidates.
Firefox 3 beta 5 should freeze sometime in mid to late March.
Digg this and let Microsoft know they made the RIGHT decision!