Vertical-align: middle is inaccurately implemented in Internet Explorer 5+, including IE 8 pre-RC1 build 6001.18344

Actual (live) result in your browser:

x[Image download support must be enabled for this test]

Expected result (screen shot 162px wide, 92px tall)

[Image download support must be enabled for this test]

References:
"middle
    align the vertical midpoint of the element (typically an image) with the baseline plus half the x-height of the parent"
CSS 1, section 5.4.4, vertical-align property

"middle
    Align the vertical midpoint of the box with the baseline of the parent box plus half the x-height of the parent."
CSS 2.1, section 10.8.1, vertical-align property

Typographical measurement systems: the x-height by Jan Roland Eriksson

NS 6.1, NS 6.2, NS 7.0, NS 7.1, NS 7.2, Firefox 1.5.x, Firefox 2.0.0.3, Firefox 3, Safari 2.0.4, Safari 3.0.4, Konqueror 3.5.5, Konqueror 4.1, Seamonkey 1.x, Seamonkey 2.x, K-meleon 1.x, Epiphany 2.14 all pass this test. Opera 9.26 and Opera 9.50 do not pass this test.

This bug has been reported at connect's IE beta feedback as bug 365792.

Update: This bug has been FIXED in Internet Explorer 8 RC1 (build 6001.18372) released on January 26th 2009. Otherwise, Internet Explorer 8 RC1 PASSES this specific and particular testcase.

HTML 4.01 Strict compliant Valid CSS!