Internet Explorer
Internet Explorer (often abbreviated as IE) is a series of graphical web browsers developed by Microsoft for the Windows operating system. Here's an in-depth look at its history, features, and significance:
History
- Origins: Internet Explorer was first released as part of the Microsoft Plus! add-on for Windows 95 in August 1995, but it was not until version 4.0 in 1997 that it became a standalone product.
- Market Dominance: By the late 1990s, IE had become the most widely used browser, largely due to its integration with Windows and the decline of Netscape Navigator. At its peak, IE held over 95% of the market share.
- Competition and Decline: The rise of Mozilla Firefox and later Google Chrome in the mid-2000s began to erode IE's market share, prompting Microsoft to focus on improving the browser.
- Microsoft Edge: In 2015, Microsoft introduced Microsoft Edge as a new browser built from scratch, intended to replace Internet Explorer, although IE remained available for compatibility reasons.
Features
- Rendering Engine: Initially, IE used the Trident rendering engine, which was developed in-house by Microsoft. Over time, the engine evolved to support HTML5, CSS3, and ECMAScript 5.
- ActiveX Controls: IE was known for its support of ActiveX controls, which allowed for rich internet applications but also introduced security vulnerabilities.
- Tabbed Browsing: Introduced with IE 7, tabbed browsing allowed users to open multiple pages within a single window.
- Security Enhancements: Over the years, IE incorporated several security features like phishing filters, SmartScreen Filter, and Protected Mode to enhance user safety.
Impact and Legacy
- Web Standards: IE's dominance in the early 2000s led to a period where web developers often had to cater specifically to IE, sometimes at the expense of web standards compliance.
- Monopoly Concerns: Microsoft's bundling of IE with Windows led to antitrust lawsuits, notably the United States v. Microsoft Corp., which accused Microsoft of using its dominance in the operating system market to unfairly promote IE.
- Evolution to Edge: Microsoft's shift to Edge marked a significant change in strategy, moving away from IE's proprietary technologies towards more open standards and a Chromium-based engine for better compatibility.
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