How has Internet Explorer developed since its first release?
Internet Explorer or "IE" is a web browser developed by Microsoft and based on earlier web browser Spyglass Mosaic, which Microsoft licensed for use in 1995. The Internet Explorer software went through several versions, but it was not until Version 4's release in 1997 (when IE was integrated with the Windows 98 operating system) that IE was widely used. The integration was controversial and sparked a major lawsuit. Ultimately, bundling IE with their operating system was considered Microsoft's pivotal move in winning the so-called "browser war" against major competitor Netscape.Internet Explorer Evolves
Internet Explorer Version 5 debuted in September 1998, and was significant for its expanded support, which now included XML, XSL, bi-directional text and ruby characters. October 2001 saw the release of IE Version 6, as well as the release of Microsoft's new operating system (OS), Windows XP.
Version 6 contained a variety of enhanced features, including improved CSS level 1, DOM level 1 and SMIL2.0 support. This version also introduced the IE Explorer bar, the Media bar and integration with the popular MSN Messenger chat feature. Aesthetic improvements included streamlining design to be consistent with the look and feel of Windows XP. Version 6, Service Pack 2, offered the valuable option of blocking pop-up windows - unwanted windows automatically generated with JavaScript.
In 2003, the company made a strategic shift, announcing that Internet Explorer would no longer be distributed separately from the Windows OS. Instead, it will be developed in tandem with the OS, and upgrades of both software packages distributed together.
Internet Explorer Today
The past couple of years have seen the first-ever decline in Internet Explorer's market-share since IE's introduction. Partly in response to this phenomenon, in early 2005 Bill Gates announced the new browser version at the RSA Conference 2005, in San Francisco.
The beta version of the new IE browser is set for release in summer 2005 and will be available for use with Windows XP and all later versions of the Windows OS. This latest version of IE contains features designed to protect users from phishing, and from infiltration of their computers by viruses and other forms of malware. Moreover, it features numerous improvements in standards support, all of which is designed to recapture market share.
Microsoft periodically releases updates and "patches" for the IE, most of which are available through the Windows Update Website. By June 2005, Secunia had reported 20 unpatched vulnerabilities in IE.