In case you haven't heard, IE8 is out in Beta form. I've downloaded it, and life has not ended. Yes, a few sites have had rendering issues. Some sites have told me that I don't have a browser they support - but this has rarely happened. Usually, worst case is that I click on the "Emulate IE7" button and keep moving on.

Why would I run IE8 on my every day machine:

• IE8 activities are cool
• WebSlices are also cool, and already seeing these show up - like on Facebook
• Also taking a look at some of my customers' sites, and giving them a heads up if I see rendering issues. They even provide a add-on for reporting sites with rendering issues.

Resources to learn more about IE8:

• IE8 developer center (includes link for download)
• Welcome to IE8, Chris Wilson, http://sessions.visitmix.com/?selectedSearch=BCT08
• Integrating Your Site with IE8, Jane Kim, http://sessions.visitmix.com/?selectedSearch=T21Advanced Cross Browser Layout, Scott Dickens, http://sessions.visitmix.com/?selectedSearch=CT07
• MIX Keynote, which shows the summary of our recent web announcements
• IE8 Blog, http://blogs.msdn.com/ie/default.aspx

I haven't seen an expected RTM date (actually, I should say RTW), but it doesn't appear to be anytime soon.