Internet Explorer 8 is one of the most talked about releases of Internet Explorer in quite some time. That's probably because it has so many cool new features, functions, and improvements. From Accelerators to Web Slices and InPrivate browsing, you won't want to miss a single part of this ten-part series.

In Internet Explorer 8, Microsoft developers really improved some of the navigation features. There's a compatibility view that you can use on pages that don't display quite right, there's an amazing improvement to tabbed browsing, and and a much improved Find On Page function.

There may be times when you'd like to surf the Web and not have "tracks" left behind. Say you're shopping for a special present for a loved one. You may not want them seeing that you were on certain Web pages. For times like these Internet Explorer 8 offers InPrivate Browsing. In this mode IE8 doesn't save cookies, history, temporary Internet files, and other such online tracks.

Do you have sites that you visit multiple times each day to check for updated information? Maybe others that you visit once a week or once a month? Well, with Internet Explorer 8's new Web Slices you won't have to. Web Slices bring the content from the sites you want to watch to you so you don't have to go off and find it.

In Internet Explorer 7 Microsoft introduced its anti-Phishing component. Phishing, you'll recall, is when the perpetrators try to convince you that their email is from your bank or other institution and lure you to a fraudulent Web site to steal your information. In Internet Explorer 8 SmartScreen Filter takes the battle against malware and phishing a step further.

Sometimes you search the Internet and you're not really sure what you're searching for. You start typing in a word and hope it's the right one. Now, in Internet Explorer 8 you get suggestions when you search. Type in a few characters and you can get a feeling as to if you're on the right track. Searches also contain visual elements so you can see some of the things you're searching for.

For people with various disabilities, using a computer can be a tedious job. Internet Explorer 8 improves on accessibility options by adding Adaptive Zoom, Caret Browsing, and more.

In Internet Explorer 8 the Favorites bar is much more versatile and intuitive than in previous versions of IE. It can serve as the home for Web Slices, RSS Feeds, as well as your Favorite Web sites.

In the past your Internet "history" was kind of a disorganized mass of previously visited URL's. In Internet Explorer 8 the history gets some real functionality. You can sort it by date, most visited, site and visited today. You can even search your browsing history to find that site you were on last month.

Looking for ways to soup up your copy of Internet Explorer 8? Then look no further than the available Add Ons. You can find a nice selection of tools that give Internet Explorer 8 more power and functionality. Pick the ones that suit you and you'll be good to go.

The latest version of

Internet Explorer

,

Internet Explorer 8

, is being hailed as a must-have download for Windows users. It features

private browsing

, a new and very handy feature called Web Slices and much, much more. Michael "Doc" Callahan gives the guided tour in this 10-part series.