In the Mix for Microsoft? IE 8 and Silverlight to headline

The expected release of Internet Explorer 8 is likely to be the biggest headline coming out of Microsoft's Mix conference this week, along with the anticipated arrival of Silverlight 3, the next version of its rival to Adobe's Flash.

Microsoft has already released a near-final release candidate version of IE 8 and is widely expected to declare the browser ready as it prepares to address a crowd of web developers in Las Vegas starting on Wednesday.

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Among its features, IE 8 includes a private browsing mode, the ability to create "slices" of a web page that can be viewed on their own, as well as greater compliance with web standards.

The release of IE 8 comes as the market for web browsers is heating up. Microsoft has seen its share of the browser market slip and has also been on the negative side of lots of speed comparisons from Google and Apple. Microsoft released a video last week that shows IE 8 can still be faster overall at loading many web pages, despite having a slower JavaScript engine.

As for Silverlight, Microsoft continues to add features and announce some high-profile deals, although Adobe's Flash continues to maintain its high proportion of market share.

Microsoft is also expected to offer new details on its Windows Azure road map.

The software maker announced Windows Azure at its Professional Developer Conference in October. Microsoft has yet to detail what it will charge for the service, although pricing is not expected to be among the details Microsoft clarifies at Mix.

Original article: IE 8, Silverlight 3 on tap for Microsoft's Mix from CNET News.com