There is much more to Internet Explorer than meets the eye. And, apparently, Microsoft is good and ready to deliver a different perspective over itself, associated by default with the upcoming Internet Explorer 8. Fact is that neither the software company nor its proprietary browser have been enjoying easy rides, with barrages of criticisms becoming a constant. So much so that all advances that IE brings, and all efforts poured into the evolution of the browser never get to take center stage. In this context, communication is the key to opening the eyes of the world on a new IE, now with Internet Explorer 8, and the latest initiative from Microsoft is designed to do just that.

However, it is not the traditional, corporate discourse applauding IE8. It is a much simpler, "healthier," more intimate experience delivered courtesy of the Internet Explorer team. It is the recently debuted Flicker photostream of the IE team. A superb initiative designed to offer a sneak peek into the group that is actually building Internet Explorer 8. Not "Microsoft-robots," just your "average" Redmond dwelling geeks, albeit with extremely peculiar taste in food, from meat donuts to bacon chocolate chip cookies, and on a constant search for "8" in mundane items... Still, the IE team photostream on Flickr is available to all; so, have a look and meet the people building the next iteration of Internet Explorer.

"Internet Explorer 8 takes the web experience beyond the page and introduces a new way to seamlessly experience the best of the web whether you are a web developer writing to standards or an end-user discovering a new online service integrated into the browser - all with the peace of mind that you are using the safest, most compatible, and reliable browser," revealed a member of the Microsoft New Zealand IE8 Taskforce. "We've also taken steps to deliver the fastest version of Internet Explorer available, making it easy to launch quickly, find what you want efficiently, and navigate seamlessly. Consistent with our efforts to promote further interoperability across the Web, Microsoft will be releasing Internet Explorer 8 to render content in its most standards-compliant way by default."

Internet Explorer 8 Beta 1 is available for download here. Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 is planned for release in August 2008.