Microsoft released the second beta version of its Internet Explorer 8 which targets the general public and the browser is now available for download.

The first beta version was opened only for developers and after several updates and fixes, the company decided that it was time for its product to receive a wider audience.

The new IE 8 appears stable and noticeably faster than its predecessor, the IE 7, and among its new features and updates users will notice several improvements such as the accelerators, which are designed to help users significantly speed up their activities of searching for a street address, a definition or a translation; the visual search will also prove to be of great help for users looking for certain items on eBay, Wikipedia, Google or YouTube, as the application provides results and pictures from the Web sites right through the browser once a user starts typing into the IE8 search box.

Another important feature is the InPrivate option, which does not memorize any visited pages in the user’s history list, doesn’t keep cookies and also does not store auto-complete information.

Microsoft explained that the feature was not designed to be a ’porn-mode,’ as the media called it, but rather a useful tool for moments like searching for a present without ruining the surprise.

The new Internet Explorer 8 is exactly what Microsoft needed in its battle with Mozilla’s recently launched Firefox 3.0. Some of the new features included by the company are similar to its rival’s offer, but in the end it all comes down to what is best for the customer, right?