The rumors were true, the 8th version of Internet Explorer is ready for invasion and, as stated by its maker, will become available for download as of 12:00 PM EDT or 16:00 PM GMT. Set to come in 25 languages right off the bat, IE8 final features enhanced privacy and security, more speed and reliability, plus things like:

- Accelerators. Accelerators make it faster and easier to perform common tasks online by making Web-based services such as ESPN.com, Live Search and Sina available for use directly from the page people are viewing. Users can simply right-click a word or phrase and instantly map, e-mail, or share it.

- Web Slices. Web Slices in Internet Explorer 8 makes favorite information from sites such as Digg, Yahoo! Mail, OneRiot, and eBay instantly available wherever someone goes on the Web.

- Visual search suggestions. The Instant Search Box in Internet Explorer 8 enables rich, real-time search from sites such as The New York Times, Amazon.com and Wikipedia, as well as sites from people’s own Favorites and History, complete with visuals and detailed information that saves time.

"Customers have made clear what they want in a Web browser - safety, speed and greater ease of use," said Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft. "With Internet Explorer 8, we are delivering a browser that gets people to the information they need, fast, and provides protection that no other browser can match."

Internet Explorer 8 will be up for grabs over at microsoft.com/ie8 so set your clock, make a memo and wait for it. Or just go about your business with Firefox, Opera, Safari, Chrome...