Internet Explorer 1

In August 1995, Microsoft releases the Windows 95 Plus! Pack, which includes Internet Explorer 1.

It is interesting to note that Microsoft picked up the version numbering scheme where NCSA Mosaic left off rather than actually christening this version 1.

Working with Favorites

The Favorites menu as well as the Add to Favorites dialog box are quite simple.

Internet Explorer 2

In November 1995, Microsoft releases Internet Explorer 2 for both Windows and Mac. This version supports JavaScript, frames, Secure Socket Layer (SSL), cookies and newsgroups (NNTP).

Note that this is actually listed as version 2, but the NCSA Mosaic numbering scheme is now in parentesis.

Internet Explorer 3

In August 1996, Microsoft releases Windows 95 OSR2, which includes Internet Explorer 3. This version supports CSS, the ability to display gifs and jpg files, play MIDI sound files, and introduces the animated Blue e logo.

Working with Favorites

While the Favorites menu remains the same, the Add to Favorites dialog box is redesigned in order to make organizing your links that much easier.

Internet Explorer 4

While Microsoft releases Internet Explorer 4 in September of 1997, it doesn’t really enter the mainstream until June of 1998 when Microsoft releases Windows 98, which includes Internet Explorer 4, Active Desktop and support for DHTML.

Internet Explorer 5

In May 1999, Microsoft releases Windows 98 Second Edition, which includes Internet Explorer 5. This version supports XML, XSL, and improved CSS functionality.

Internet Explorer 5.5

In September of 2000, Microsoft releases Windows Millennium Edition, which includes Internet Explorer 5.5. While most of the improvements in this version are behind the scenes, it is the first version to ship with 128 bit encryption.

Internet Explorer 6

In October 2001, Microsoft releases Windows XP, which includes Internet Explorer 6. This version introduces auto image resizing and print preview. In Windows XP SP2, Internet Explorer 6 gets a pop-up blocker.

Windows Internet Explorer 7

In late 2006, Microsoft releases a rebranded Windows Internet Explorer 7, which is then included in Windows Vista in January 2007. In addition to the new name, this version supports tabbed browsing, RSS, Page Zoom, Quick Tabs, an Anti-Phishing filter as well as a number of other security protection features.

Main Window

A more refined arrangment of the toolbar and the tabbed interface makes using internet Explorer 7 a dream.

Working with Favorites

The Favorites menu behaves more like the drop down menu of old, yet adds new features like Feeds and incorporates old features like History. You can add individual favorites as well as tab goups.

Site suggestions

One new feature touted in Internet Explorer 8 is the capability to enable site suggestions.

Web slice

Web Slice is another new feature that’s related to your Favorites. Web Slice serves as a sort of visual RSS for your favorite sites. When a page can be turned into a Web Slice, you’ll see an icon you can click to add it to your gallery. When your favored page updates, the Web Slice will become highlighted.

Accelerator

IE8 introduced the Accelerator feature which is a separate context menu that appears when you highlight a word or phrase. Internet Explorer’s “accelerators” speed up your follow-through by offering shortcuts to blog, e-mail, map, search, define the word, and so on–without starting a new action in another screen.

Credit: Jessica Dolcourt CNET

Visual search

Internet Explorer’s visual search field previews information without opening a new Web page. After entering a search term, you can click a partnered search-engine icon below the text field to get a preview of the results. From here, you’ll be able to quickly navigate to the Web site, or in this case, click elsewhere on the screen and continue what you’re doing.

Credit: Jessica Dolcourt CNET

Tab color

If you begin from a search results page, you might open several new tabs from links on that page. When you do, the parent tab and each new tab pick up a distinctive color.

Developer toolbar

With the developer toolbar, you can clear the browser cache, disable images for the current page, and delete cookies (including session cookies) from the current domain by hitting F12.

A preview demo

A demo.

Border radius

Development

Charts and diagrams

By Greg Shultz