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Internet Explorer For MacInternet Explorer for Mac, aka Internet Explorer:mac or Internet Explorer Macintosh Edition, is a proprietary but free-of-charge web browser developed by Microsoft for the Macintosh platform. Initial versions were developed from the same code base as Internet Explorer for Windows, however later versions diverged, particularly with the release of version 5 which included the Tasman rendering engine. As a result of the five-year agreement between Apple and Microsoft, it was the default browser on Mac OS before it was replaced by Apple's own Safari web browser. Internet Explorer remains a part of the OS X package, although no new releases have been made since June 17 2003. In June 2003, Microsoft announced that it was ceasing further development of Internet Explorer for Mac. History The first version of Internet Explorer for the Macintosh operating system was a beta version of Internet Explorer 2.0 for Macintosh, released on January 23 1996 as a free download from Microsoft's website. This first version was based on the Mosaic web browser licensed from Spyglass. Available for both 68k and PPC based Macs running System 7.0.1 or later, it supported the embedding of a number of multimedia formats into web pages, including AVI and QuickTime formatted video and AIFF and WAV formatted audio. The final version was released three months later on April 23. Version 2.1 released in August of the same year, was mostly aimed at fixed bugs and improving stability, but also added a few features such as support for the Netscape Plugin API (the first version of Internet Explorer on any platform to do so) and support for QuickTime VR. On November 5 1996 Microsoft announced the release of a beta version of Internet Explorer version 3.0 for Macintosh. This release added support for HTML version 3.2, Cascading Style Sheets, Java applets and ActiveX controls. The final version, which was made available on January 8 1997, also added support for the SSL and NTLM security protocols and the PICS and RSACi rating systems that can be used to controls access to websites based on content ratings. A problem with an operating system extension used in the Mac OS called CFM68K Runtime Enabler, lead to a delay in the release of the version 3.0 for Macs based on the 68k line of processors. Four months later on May 14, Microsoft released version 3.01 which included a version for 68k-based machines. This version also included features from the Windows version of Internet Explorer 4.0 such as AutoComplete and Monitoring Favorites that notified users when sites in their Favorites list have been updated. It also included support for JavaScript and introduced a Download Manager and a Cookie Manager. At the 1997 Macworld Expo in Boston, on August 6, Steve Jobs and Bill Gates announced a partnership between Microsoft and Apple. Amongst other things, Apple agreed to bundle Internet Explorer with future versions of the Mac OS and make it the default browser instead of Netscape Navigator. Five months later on January 6 1998, at the Macworld Expo in San Francisco, Microsoft announced the release of the final version of Internet Explorer version 4.0 for Macintosh. Version 4 included support for offline browsing, Dynamic HTML, a new faster Java virtual machine and Security Zones that allow users or administrators to limit access to certain types of web content depending on which zone (for example Intranet or Internet) the content was coming from. The most publicised feature of Internet Explorer 4.0 was support for Microsoft's Active Channel technology, which was intended to deliver regularly updated content that users could personally tailor to their interests. However Active Channel failed to reach a wide audience. At the same event, Apple announced the release of Mac OS 8.1 which was the first version of the Macintosh operating system to bundle Internet Explorer as its default browser per the agreement with Microsoft, however 4.0 was not ready in time to be included so version 3.01 was bundled on the CDs. At the following years San Francisco Macworld Expo on January 9 1999, Microsoft announced the release of Internet Explorer 4.5 Macintosh Edition. This new version, which dropped 68K processor support, introduced Form AutoFill, Print Preview, the Page Holder pane which let a user hold a page of links on one side of the screen that opened pages in the right hand and support for Mac OS technology like Sherlock. Again a year later on January 5 2000, Microsoft announced a new version of Internet Explorer at the San Francisco Macworld Expo, Internet Explorer 5 Macintosh Edition which was released two months later on March 27 2000. Version 5 introduced a new rendering engine called Tasman that was designed to be more compliant with W3C standards such as HTML 4.0, CSS Level 1, DOM Level 1, and ECMAScript. It also introduced a number of features that were later added to other browsers such as complete support for the PNG image standard (which previous versions did not support at all), DOCTYPE switching, Text Zoom and XML source view. It also included an Auction Manager for tracking auctions in sites like eBay and an Internet Scrapbook to allow users to quickly and easily store and organise web content (for example an image or a piece of selected text). The initial release was just for Mac OS 8 and Mac OS 9, however two months after that release on May 15 a Mac OS X version was released, bundled with the Mac OS X Public Beta that was handed out to developers at the 2000 Worldwide Developers Conference. After the release of the final version of 5.0 for Mac OS X, development work on the Macintosh version of Internet Explorer then slowed. Version 5.1 was released on December 18 2001 and mostly focussed on performance improvements and integration with Mac OS X technologies and then on June 17 2002 Microsoft announced the release of version 5.2 (the first Mac OS X only release) which included a few performance and security fixes and support for Mac OS X features likes Quartz text smoothing. Finally on June 13 2003, PC Pro reported that Macintosh Business Unit general manager Roz Ho had confirmed that aside from updates to fix security problems, there would be no new versions of Internet Explorer from Microsoft. Three days later on June 16, Microsoft released the final version for Mac OS X, version 5.2.3 and a month later on July 11, they released the final version for Mac OS 8 and Mac OS 9, version 5.1.7. Features Distinguishing features These are features found in Internet Explorer for Mac, which are not found in other common browsers (other than Internet Explorer). - Support for furigana
- Scrapbook feature lets the user archive any page in its current state
- Auction Manager feature automatically tracks eBay auctions
- Although Internet Explorer for Mac did not have any PNG support at all until version 5.0 (a year or two after most popular browsers), the PNG support added in that version was said at the time to be the best available on any platform.
Common features These are features found in Internet Explorer for Mac and some other browsers. - Auto-complete in the address bar responds to typing partial URLs or page titles, searches favorites and history
- Go menu allows access to the persistent global browser history
- Rendering engine offers superior CSS support compared with Internet Explorer for Windows
- Immune from most Internet Explorer for Windows browser exploits
- Text zoom allows the user to resize text on any page, regardless of how text size is specified
Missing features These are features found in other common browsers, which Internet Explorer for Mac lacks. Concerns and problems These are concerns and problems facing Internet Explorer users for Mac which do not, today, affect users of other browsers. - No longer being actively developed, primarily because Apple created Safari, though commitment had been diminishing beforehand
- Although the layout engine has been well regarded, it has quirks independent of Internet Explorer for Windows and of Mozilla Firefox, and web pages are often no longer designed for it
- Certificate support is notoriously difficult for ISVs who needed to provide their own CAs.
- Somewhat slow, at least for its day, giving the misleading impression that the Mac could not browse the web at full speed
See also External links
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