Blogs

In a tongue-in-cheek blog post this afternoon, Internet Explorer general manager Dean Hachamovitch confirmed the not-so-earthshaking news that the next version of the browser will be called ... drum roll, please ... Internet Explorer 8.

At the end of the post, however, Hachamovitch turned serious and alluded to the angst that Web developers are feeling over the lack of real details on the next version of the browser. Hachamovitch didn't give any actual details (unless you count the "disclosure" of the name) but he promised that some sort of information is forthcoming. And he sought to make it clear that the IE team hasn't been idle.

"You will hear a lot more from us soon on this blog and in other places," he wrote. "In the meantime, please don't mistake silence for inaction."

At one point, Microsoft said it was aiming to release a new version of the browser every 12 to 18 months, but the IE team's Chris Wilson later seemed to suggest that two years might be more realistic. For the record, it has now been more than 13 months since IE7's October 2006 release.