IE 8 approaching on formal release

Internet Explorer 8 moved one step closer to its official release on Monday.

Microsoft has posted the first release candidate build of the new browser, pushing the new version of IE out of beta status.

Amongst the changes Microsoft has made in the latest update are improved protection from "clickjacking" attacks along with a number of stability and compatibility fixes.

The company cautioned that the release candidate should not be installed on systems running the Windows 7 beta, as the new browser is bundled with the OS and requires a separate update.

Though no official release date has been set, the final version of the browser would appear to be due soon. On a company blog posting, Internet Explorer team general manager Dean Hachamovitch declared that "the IE8 product is effectively complete and done."

"We will be very selective about what changes we make between the Release Candidate and the final product, and very clear in communicating them," wrote Hachamovitch.

"We will act on the most critical issues."