In case you didn't hear, Dean Hachomovitch will be showing off IE8 during one of the keynotes at MIX. I remember just 2 years ago when Dean stood up during his keynote at the first MIX. He was wearing a sweet IE7 t-shirt. He started off by apologizing on behalf of Microsoft for neglecting the web developers and taking so long to turn out a new version of Internet Explorer. It was very cool and greatly appreciated.
This time around will be a bit different. I'm very happy with their current browser (IE7) and excited about everything I've heard so far regarding IE8. It will be rewarding, perhaps not like it was during MIX06. I mean, back then we were coming from a state where things were pretty bad. But then again, with these major releases so close together (and the boon of IE6 still so widespread) it kinda feels like a continuation of what started two years ago. I'll bet if you ask Dean he'll tell you that's exactly what they're trying to do.
On a personal note, over the past 4 months I've completely changed my browsing habits from using Firefox almost exclusively to just the opposite. Now I'm using IE7 exclusively. Firefox is a memory hog and I hate that with a passion. Sure I don't have all the cool add-ons in IE7 that I was using in Firefox, but I seem to have gotten by without them. I'm noticing that IE7 is just plain faster than Firefox. I spend less time waiting and more of my time viewing. I'm very happy with this trade off. And now with the new features, usability, continued security considerations, rendering enhancements, and ease of use that will be coming with IE8 things can only get better. This is the browser that simplifies the lives of my wife, my mother, and my seven-year-old daughter. I trust it completely.