This article usually covers web application betas. This week I decided to extend the beta to more than just the web app but the web browser. Without the web browser there would of course be no web applications. So with the next generations around the corner it seems only fitting we highlight them here in case you weren’t aware of these.

Firefox 3 Beta 4 - This version is a much faster and less troublesome version than the 2.0 version of this great, flexible web browser. You may need to update some of your extensions.

Internet Explorer 8 Beta 1 - Microsoft is still trying to get web standards under control and still trying to add the same Firefox features. Internet Explorer 8 is starting to step in the right direction. This new version adds a similar feature to Apple Safari’s Web Clips.

Opera 9.5 Beta 1 - Opera is always at it with their latest version and nightly builds. Opera 9.5 right now has some minor fixes, with security and speed increase. The main focus is the mobile version to make it more iPhone Safari-like with true web browsing on mobile devices.

With these new browsers, specifically Internet Explorer 8, we can hopefully now finally code everything using web standards and not have to worry about CSS hacks. Click any of these links, download them and try them out. So, which is your favorite browser?

Update: Timeline info for all you Firefox users Firefox Beta 4 is the version currently made available to the public. Beta 5, which will be released next week, will be the last beta before a release candidate in late April or May. The final version of Firefox 3 has been slated for release in the first half of this year - in June or sooner.