Microsoft Internet Explorer for Macintosh Available

ID: Q148874

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 2.1, 3.0, 3.0a, 3.01a for Macintosh

SUMMARY

Microsoft Internet Explorer version 3.01a for Macintosh runs on Macintoshes with Motorola 68030, 68040, and PowerPC processors running system 7.1 or later.

Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 3.0 and 3.0a for Macintosh run on Motorola PowerPC processors running system 7.1 and later.

Microsoft Internet Explorer version 2.1 for Macintosh runs on Motorola 680x0-based and PowerPC-based computers with system 7.1 and later.

MORE INFORMATION

Internet Explorer 2.1

Version 2.1 of Internet Explorer for Macintosh includes the following features:

Cross-platform dynamics: Support for new scrolling marquees and background sounds make Web pages more interactive and interesting. Internet Explorer supports QuickTime and AVI digital video formats, GIF animation, and AU, AIFF, MIDI, and Wave sound formats for transparent cross-platform playback. Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) is also supported via QuickDraw 3D.
Customizable home pages: The new Microsoft Network home page allows you to create your own customized home page. Add your favorite stocks, links, cartoons, and news to create a unique home page with exactly what you want on it.
Small: Internet Explorer requires less system resources than other Macintosh browsers.
Fast: Microsoft Internet Explorer provides the best browser performance for Macintosh.
Performance: Support for Apple's Thread Manager and Progressive Rendering greatly increase the responsiveness of the user interface to even the most complex Web pages. This, coupled with a persistent page cache using standard Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) Last- Modified-Since and Expires attributes, greatly improves browsing speed.
Placeholder Mode: Instead of waiting for large graphics to download before displaying text that follows, Internet Explorer automatically puts in a placeholder for slow loading graphics and loads the text first. This allows you to get the real information on the Web page much faster than other browsers.
Fast Connect: HTTP-KeepAlive is a protocol enhancement that allows Internet Explorer to open and download multiple items over the same HTTP connection when used in conjunction with a KeepAlive-enabled server.
Easy to Use: Internet Explorer for Macintosh's feature and interface compatibility with its Windows counterpart and integration with the Macintosh make it ideal for cross-platform users
Open Transport/MacTCP: Both Open Transport (version 1.1+) and MacTCP (2.06+) are supported natively. You can use Internet Explorer immediately with your existing Internet connection.
Integration with Macintosh: Developed specifically for use with Apple's System 7.1 operating system, Internet Explorer is completely integrated with the Macintosh user interface and underlying architectures, including support for AppleScript and Drag Manager.
PowerPC and 680x0: Internet Explorer is supported on both PowerPC and Motorola 680x0 systems running system 7.1 and above.
Favorites: Support for importing and exporting Internet shortcuts and Bookmarks for complete compatibility with Microsoft Internet Explorer for Windows and other browsers.
Search Button: A Search button on the toolbar provides instant access to powerful search engines like Yahoo, Lycos, and Infoseek.
Compatible: Internet Explorer extends compatibility to include all major Internet standards.
HTML: Support for all of the standard Internet HTML 2.0 and HTML 3.0 tags, such as right align, centering, tables, client pull, server push, and much more.
News: Support for Internet Network News Transport Protocol (NNTP) newsgroup reading with in-line graphics (GIF and JPEG) and news posting.
HTTP Cookies: Support for Internet shopping tokens ("cookies") that allows you to shop on the Internet.
FTP and Gopher: Support for access to File Transfer Protocol (FTP) and Gopher servers.
Plug-Ins: Support for Netscape Plug-Ins in anticipation of ActiveX controls.
Internet Config: Support for Internet Config allows you to share Internet preferences.
Mail: Support for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) mail allows sending simple mail from within the browser.
Safe: Internet Explorer lets you shop with confidence.
SSL: Support for standard Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) 2.0 and 3.0 allows integration with secure sites.

Internet Explorer 3.0

Version 3.0 of Internet Explorer for Macintosh includes the following features, in addition to the features listed above:

HTML enhancements: Internet Explorer provides the broadest support for HTML standards, including HTML 3.2. Internet Explorer includes support for borderless and floating frames, animated GIFs, tables, and more. Support for style sheets enable corporations to have a consistent appearance throughout their Intranets and make it possible for developers to create rich images without using large bitmaps.
Java tools: Microsoft has adopted Apple's JAM/JManager API that lets Internet Explorer use both the Microsoft Java VM, developed jointly by Microsoft and Metrowerks, as well as Apple's Java VM and provides the fastest and most extensive way to run Java programs. By including appropriate hooks for Java tools, Internet Explorer lets you use scripting languages to link them to ActiveX controls, or other Java tools, giving them even more power and functionality. Internet Explorer's ability to dynamically load and unload the Java VM when needed both maximizes performance and effectively uses the system resources of the Macintosh.
ActiveX controls: ActiveX controls turn today's Web pages into animated, interactive Web environments in Internet Explorer. ActiveX controls are software components that have been designed to be small, lightweight, and fast on the Internet.
Multimedia enhancements: Web pages come alive with Internet Explorer through built-in multimedia support and ActiveX/Java multimedia controls. Support for scrolling marquees and background sounds make World Wide Web (WWW) pages more interactive and interesting. Internet Explorer for Macintosh supports QuickTime, QuickTime VR, and AVI digital video formats natively with or without a Plug-in, GIF animation, and AU, AIFF, MIDI and Wave sound formats for transparent cross-platform playback.
3-D with VRML: Viewing three-dimensional (3-D) sites and elements based on the Virtual Reality Markup Language (VRML) is supported using QuickDraw 3D. (NOTE: This limits VRML to PowerMacintoshes only)
Fast and small: Internet Explorer provides the best browser performance for Apple Macintosh computers while using less system resources than other browsers.
Performance: Support for Apple's Thread Manager and Progressive Rendering greatly increase the responsiveness of the user interface to even the most complex Web pages. This, coupled with a persistent page cache using standard HTTP Last-Modified-Since and Expires attributes, greatly improves browsing speed.
Fast text: Instead of waiting for large graphics to download before displaying text that follows, Internet Explorer automatically puts in a place-holder for slow-loading graphics and loads the text first. This allows you to get the real information on the Web page much faster than other browsers.
Fast connect: HTTP-KeepAlive is a protocol enhancement that allows Internet Explorer to open and download multiple items over the same HTTP connection when used in conjunction with a KeepAlive-enabled server.
Personalized exploring and easy to use: Full integration with the Macintosh, enabling you to simplify and personalize your Internet experience in an easy to use way! Personalize your browser--customize your toolbar, Favorites folder, and your home page to suit your preferences. In addition, customizable built-in links to important sites let you quickly connect and start exploring.
Administration Kit: Customize Internet Explorer to match the look and needs of your organization with this free Administration Kit. While Internet service providers (ISPs) and organizations can customize the browser's look and feel, corporate customers can also configure user options including security and proxy settings.
Open Transport/MacTCP: Both Open Transport (version 1.1+) and MacTCP (2.06+) are supported natively. You can use Internet Explorer immediately with your existing Internet connection.
Integration with Macintosh: Developed specifically for use with Apple's System 7.1 operating system, Internet Explorer is completely integrated with the Macintosh user interface and underlying architectures, including support for AppleScript and Drag Manager.
Favorites: Support for importing and exporting Internet shortcuts and bookmarks for complete compatibility with Microsoft Internet Explorer for Windows and other browsers.
Search button: A Search button on the toolbar provides instant access to powerful search engines such as Yahoo, Lycos, and Infoseek.
Open and secure: Provides comprehensive, private, and secure commerce and communications.
Secure communications: Put your security concerns to rest with Internet Explorer, which lets you communicate securely on the Internet with support for Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) 2.0.
Java tool security: Safely download software programs with Internet Explorer's support for different levels of code verification.
Communication and collaboration: Use the latest in computer and Internet technology to communicate and collaborate with other people for fun and business.
Microsoft Internet Mail: This integrated, small, fast client uses SMTP and Post Office Protocol 3 (POP3) protocols to let anyone use Internet e-mail through their Internet service provider's mail servers. All of the options needed to send, receive, and reply to e-mail messages, even in HTML, are easily accessible.
Microsoft Internet News: Anyone can subscribe, post, and read news on Internet USENET newsgroups with this new simple, integrated Internet newsreader. Features, such as a preview pane and folders, enable users to read articles quickly and filter out unwanted information.
Multilanguage support: Read pages authored in other languages with Internet Explorer's support for international character sets using Apple Language Pack. Also, Internet Explorer is available in nine languages, helping you share information with people worldwide.

Internet Explorer 3.0a

Version 3.0a of Internet Explorer for Macintosh includes the following feature, in addition to the features listed above:

Personal Web Server version 1.0: A full-featured Web server that you can use to create a personalized home page and monitor its activity. As the owner of the Web server, you can use the administration tools to remotely access and modify your home page from Internet Explorer.

The following problems that were known to occur with previous versions of Internet Explorer for Macintosh have been addressed in version 3.0a:

You receive the following error message when a Web site attempts to run a Java program:
```
      There is not enough memory to run the Java VM
```
The Explorer Cache folder exceeds the maximum size specified in Internet Explorer Preferences, and files in the folder are not always deleted properly.

Internet Explorer 3.01a

Version 3.01a of Internet Explorer for Macintosh includes the following features, in addition to the features listed above:

Support for 68K Macintoshes: Now you can run Internet Explorer 3.01a on Macintoshes with 68030 and higher processors.
JavaScript Support: Internet Explorer now supports JavaScript, completing the browser's compatibility with all the technologies that add interactivity to Web pages.
Download Manager: Download files while you continue to browse the Web. Download Manager tracks the download progress and even lets you stop, then resume the download at a later time.
FTP Folder Download: Perform FTP folder downloads without having to use a helper program. Internet Explorer for Macintosh supports the importing of Fetch bookmarks for FTP addresses. Internet Explorer also now supports automatic decoding of BinHex and MacBinary files.
Autosearch: Search for a topic directly from the address bar by typing "go" or "?" (without the quotation marks) followed by the topic you want.
Cookies Choice: Choose to accept or decline "cookies" as part of Internet Explorer's enhanced security features.
Refresh Frame: Refresh individual frames within a page.
Monitoring Favorites: Internet Explorer notifies you when your favorite sites have changed. Select from a variety of monitoring options right from the Favorites menu.
AutoComplete: Begin typing a Web address you've used before, and Internet Explorer finishes the job.
Site Password Management: Internet Explorer automatically remembers names of sites you've visited that have passwords, along with the passwords you've used, and stores them in the Site Password preference. You can look up and edit site passwords right from this panel.
Internet Mail and News 3.0: The latest upgrade lets you send and receive messages while performing other tasks, plus it offers advanced searching and filtering capabilities, multiple-account support, a new and improved toolbar, and too many other new features to mention here.

System Requirements

Macintosh or Power Macintosh running System 7.1 or higher.
Apple Thread Manager, Apple Drag Manager, and Apple OpenTransport or MacTCP.
8 megabytes of RAM.
2-4 megabytes of hard disk space.
NOTE: Additional disk space can be allocated as caches to improve performance.
Modem (14.4 bps or faster is recommended for optimum performance).

Obtaining Internet Explorer for Macintosh

To obtain Internet Explorer for Macintosh, see the following Web page:

   http://www.microsoft.com/ie/download/

For more information about Microsoft Internet Explorer, see the following Web page:

   http://www.microsoft.com/ie/

Additional query words: 2.10 mac availability 3.00 3.00a

Keywords          : kbtool msiemac 
Version           : 2.1 3.0 3.0a 3.01a
Platform          : MACINTOSH

Last Reviewed: September 3, 1997