The search functions are very impressive in IE8, giving options right on the toolbar for various filters, enabling very quick searches of a site with highlighted results, etc. Maybe this was available before, but I found the icons and procedures tedious and obscure before IE8 (I came from IE6). Still not crazy about icons (being fond of the written word) but realize I need to get used to each technology quickly or get obsolete even more quickly.

One thing that finally convinced me to upgrade was that sites like myspace kept popping up the suggestion that I should upgrade for better performance, better security, whatever else they said endlessly. I didn't take their link to do the upgrade but rather went there on my own to be certain it was the right link.