Microsoft and timetables haven't always been the best pairing in the world.

In an industry where sliding schedules are common, Microsoft is far from the least offender.  Bill Gates himself has announced that IE 8 will have a Beta 2 release by the end of August.

This is a prediction that Microsoft will meet or beat that self-assigned deadline and will publicly release IE 8 beta 2 on or before August 31st, 2008.

Betting will close either when the beta is released or on August 27th, whichever occurs first.  Judgment will be made on September 1, 2008.