About Internet Explorer

Internet Explorer is the most common and widely-used Internet browser. It first launched on the Windows 95 platform and has been a staple of modern browsing ever since. It has had a long, often conflict-ridden existence, but maintains a consistent 80% market share of browser usage worldwide. The popularity of the Internet Explorer browser is generally attributed to it's unmatched compatibility with modern websites and apps, as well as its pre-installed presence on the Windows platform.

History

Internet Explorer first came on the scene as an add-on in the Microsoft Windows 95 Plus expansion pack. Although the Internet was just starting to have household penetration at that point, the Internet Explorer browser helped get people interested in the Internet as a service, and people quickly came to associate the Internet Explorer browser with the actual internet. As the browser technology improved, Internet Explorer developed a stranglehold on the Internet browser market, and reach a peak of 93% usage in 2002. However, after the advent of the Opera, Firefox, and most recently, Chrome browsers, the IE base has been quickly finding other options. However, usage of the most current version of Internet Explorer still has a market penetration of about 80%, making it still the most widely-used browser currently available.

Types

There have been seven "full" versions of Internet Explorer, and an eighth version is currently in beta testing.
The first version of Internet Explorer was laid out in a format similar to other Microsoft applications like Paint and Word. It was included on the Windows 95 Plus expansion pack and only had a simple address bar,refresh button, and simple copy and paste functions. The 1.5 update allowed table rendering.
The second version of Internet Explorer was created for Windows 95, as well as NT versions 3.5 and 4.0. This versions was largely the same in form as the previous iteration, but included support for SSL and cookies. Patches released in the 2.0i version gave support for double-byte characters.
Internet Explorer 3 is generally regarded as the first "modern" internet browser, and had CSS, Java, and ActiveX support. Internet Explorer 3 was often bundled with Windows Mail software, and created a more streamlined Internet experience.
The fourth iteration of the Internet explorer series was the first to be based on a platform other than Windows 95, and was directly integrated into the framework of Windows 98. This iteration was the first to use Microsoft-branded Active Desktop Upgrades.
Internet Explorer 5 was one of the longest-lasting releases, and was originally released with the Windows 98 second edition. It went on to enjoy standard releases on Windows Me as well as Windows 2000. It featured several technological upgrades that brought the IE franchise into the "modern" era with better support for the Adobe suite as well as flash-based programming. Internet Explorer 5 was also the subject of a monopoly lawsuit, United States vs. Microsoft, where the State alleged that Microsoft was locking out other companies by bundling Internet Explorer with it's Windows platform and not allowing any other companies to compete. A settlement was reached in 2001.
Windows 6 was announced a few months prior to the release of Windows XP, and was touted as being a broadband-optimized browser. The style of the browser was altered significantly to match the "Luna" style of the XP OS, and there were also quite a few changes under the hood, including increased CSS support. However, Internet Explorer 6 was often labeled as the least secure browser available, and many criticized it for it's lack of security patches.
Internet Explorer 7 is the most recent iteration of the browser, and has several cosmetic features including a multi-engine search bar, an anti-phishing filter, and a feed reader. It is optimized for Windows Vista, but is available for up-to-date versions of XP.

Significance

Internet Explorer is culturally significant because it has become a worldwide symbol of the Internet. Because the market share of Internet Explorer has always been quite high, it is the internet browser that most people are most familiar with. Most alternative browsers take stylistic and functional cues from the browser. Not only is it the most popular browser, but it is also the longest-lasting and most compatible.

Features

There are several key features that make Internet Explorer distinctive in the ever-widening browser landscape. The first is compatibility. When you are running a PC with Windows, Internet Explorer manages media as well as other content through internal pre-existing programs. This cuts down on the need to install extra plug-ins or applications. Internet Explorer is also the most compatible across the Internet. Most sites are designed to be inherently compatible with the browser, and even rival browsers have created Internet Explorer emulators to make sure that they stay competitive.

Warning

Although Internet Explorer has many great features, it should be noted that it is generally the least secure. Frequent Internet Explorer users should supplement their usual anti-virus software with extra firewall support to try and combat this issue. Although Microsoft has stated that Internet Explorer's security problems are a "known issue," they have never tackled the issue head-on and have instead added extra OS security in place of browser security.

Resources

• Internet Explorer Home Page
• History of Internet Explorer