Internet Explorer 8, the most anticipated product of Microsoft can hit the market shelves any time but the comparisons and critics are already flooding the blogging sites and penning down candid reviews.

With the launch of Mozilla Firefox 3 final version and availability for downloads, the browser will invite new comparisons on the charts.  The Mozilla Firefox 3 seems to come bundled with lots of features and its USP is security. So, Will IE8 feature the same? or  Will it  prove to be a nightmare again  or will have something nice for end users?

Internet Explorer8, marketed as the most compliant browser by Microsoft till date was first launched in March in its beta version.

IE8 is integrated with updates to address the Web standards and promote interoperability. The browser is evaluated to be loaded with bundle of features, like multiple rendering modes, compliance with Web standards and many others like Web Slices.

After launch of beta1, nothing different was found but indeed the browser was found to comply with standards. It seemed that company for the first worked in a direction by listening to the feedback of end users; but still is to meet the standards that are conventionally set on a Microsoft product  The competition is tougher for the browser to prove itself as others in the competition like Mozilla, Opera and Safari has set user standards very high.

After receiving repetitive requests for developing IE8 in a standard compliant mode, the company did the same, but those who know the product best , still claim that it would be long before such standards are met fficienctly. To overcome this lacking feature, Microsoft opted to offer Meta tags feature to render the pages in IE7 manner. These and many other features need immediate attention from the company’s side.

Being the oldest one in the market, browser is still juggling with basic functionalities. Like Microsoft copied the feature of tabbing from other browsers like Mozilla, and Opera, the time seems same.

As per anticipations, it seems that the company should learn something more from these two browsers to feed the users with features they need most.

The utmost requirement from IE8 is the need to open more on its development strategies. It should expect the immediate current and give some preference to open platform for developers. It should be frequent to launch updates as Mozilla and Opera are; without making the developers to wait for long months before the launch of betas. Emphasize should be on “transparency”.

The development at Microsoft’s part is worth welcoming in the form of IE blogs; the tool gives an insight of what is happening at developer’s end in development. It has started opening up but the standard has been set by the open source browsers; which is really cumbersome for the Microsoft to cope with in its commercial nature.

Internet Explorer is losing on market; thereby promoting the rapid progress of others in the market. 

To make sure that it does not loose more to its competitors, Microsoft should frame some innovative strategy, but the task seems difficult with company’s lack of clear objectives, infrequent releases, and poor communication.

It seems IE8 will be again a struggling browser to achieve technical and functional  parity with its competitors.