Thanks to NeoXP for posting this in BPN.
Softpedia is claiming "third party sources confirm that the next version of Internet Explorer is already cooking in the Redmond labs". Internet Explorer 8.0 is supposed to be unveiled at MIX 07, at the Venitian Hotel in Las Vegas this year between April 30 and May 2. The session entitled "First Look at the Future of IE" is described as "Hear what Microsoft"s browser investments mean to you, and make sure you get a voice in shaping the next version of Internet Explorer. Hear about what features and layout issues are being worked on, and let us know what causes you the most problems."
Now, assuming the above is all concrete fact, let"s hit some speculation. Microsoft may not release Internet Explorer 7.x and will go straight to version 8; an alpha version of 8.0 is already an internal release in Redmond. At MIX 06, Bill Gates announced that IE releases would be between 9 and 12 months apart and recently at CES 2007, Microsoft confirmed that the development of Internet Explorer 8.0 had already debuted. Great right? No, not so great. A Microsoft representative at CES 2007 said they expected a period of 18 to 24 months until Internet Explorer 8.0 hits the market. ActiveWin.com is reporting the exact same thing.