IE v8.0 to support complex web standards

Microsoft recently announced that it will support Acid2 and other industry standards in Internet Explorer 8, bringing the browser up to date with modern standards for displaying complex web code. Following in the footsteps of Safari and Firefox, which have been able to make use of the code for quite some time, Microsoft's IE development team calls the progress "a milestone". While the Acid2 test isn't an official release from a true web standards conglomerate, it is a fairly accurate test for verifying compatibility with W3C HTML and CSS 2.0 code.

The development team stresses that they are making great strides with standard compatibility so that its users get a consistent internet experience. "Standards are a (critical!) means to this end," writes Dean Hachamovitch, General Manager for the IE development team. He continues "We focus on the standards that will help actual, real-world interoperability the most. ... When I get a new version of my current browser, I expect all the sites that worked before will still work."

Although Internet Explorer 8 is still in development, Microsoft said that it will release a beta version during the first half of 2008. The new version will have improved support for RSS, CSS, and AJAX microformats, while offering users enhanced user interface customization, and improved web development tools, with a very heavy focus on improved security.

Filed under: software
Other story tags: Internet Explorer, CSS, Acid2