Internet Explorer 3

Last updated
Internet Explorer 3
Developer(s) Microsoft
Initial release
  • Windows: August 13, 1996;28 years ago (1996-08-13)
  • Mac OS: January 8, 1997;27 years ago (1997-01-08)
Stable release
3.03 SP1 (3.03.3006) / August 1998;26 years ago (1998-08)
Operating system
Platform x86, 68k, PPC, MIPS, Alpha AXP
Included with Windows 95 OSR2
Predecessor Internet Explorer 2 (1995)
Successor Internet Explorer 4 (1997)
Type Web browser
License Proprietary
Website www.microsoft.com/IE/   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

Microsoft Internet Explorer 3 (IE3) is the third version of the Internet Explorer graphical web browser which was announced in March 1996, and was released on August 13, 1996 by Microsoft for Microsoft Windows and on January 8, 1997 for Apple Mac OS (see IE for Mac). It began serious competition against Netscape Navigator in the first Browser war. [1] It was Microsoft's first browser release with a major internal development component. [2] It was the first more widely used version of Internet Explorer, although it did not surpass Netscape or become the browser with the most market share. During its tenure, IE market share went from roughly 3–9% in early 1996 to 20–30% by the end of 1997. [3] [4] [5] In September 1997 it was superseded by Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.

Contents

IE3 was the first commercial browser with Cascading Style Sheets support. [6] It introduced support for ActiveX controls, Java applets, inline multimedia, and the Platform for Internet Content Selection (PICS) system for content metadata. This version was the first version of Internet Explorer to use the blue 'e' logo, which later became a symbol of the browser. Version 3 came bundled with Internet Mail and News, NetMeeting, and an early version of the Windows Address Book. There were 16-bit and 32-bit versions depending on the OS.

This is the first version of Internet Explorer developed without Spyglass source code, but still used Spyglass technology, so the Spyglass licensing information remained in the program's documentation. In 1996 Microsoft said of its new browser "Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 adds many new features which are great for HTML authors and demonstrates our accelerating commitment to W3C HTML standards." [7]

It is the last version of Internet Explorer to support Windows NT 3.5 and Windows NT 4.0 RTM—SP2 and windows NT 4 for Risc (the 16 bit version can still be run through NTVDM)

Internet Explorer 3 is no longer supported, and is not available for download from Microsoft.

Overview

Internet Explorer 3.0 was released free of charge on the August 13, 1996. Microsoft thus made no direct revenues on IE and was liable to pay Spyglass only the minimum quarterly fee. In 1997, Spyglass threatened Microsoft with a contractual audit, in response to which Microsoft settled for $8 million U.S. [8] Version 3 included Internet Mail and News 1.0 and the Windows Address Book. It brought the browser much closer to the bar that had been set by Netscape, including the support of Netscape's plugins technology (NPAPI), ActiveX, frames, and a reverse-engineered version of JavaScript named JScript. Later, Microsoft NetMeeting and Windows Media Player were integrated into the product and thus helper applications became not as necessary as they once were. CSS were introduced with version 3 of Internet Explorer. [6] While IE1 and IE2 were said to have "paled" in comparison to Netscape, IE3 "delivers a crushing blow to Netscape". [1] The user interface notably changes, with much larger buttons, with more intricate icons, and with a light gray design behind it. [9] Unlike later IE versions, users who upgraded to IE3 could still use the last IE by converting the previous version to a separate directory. [1] It could import favorites into IE3 from IE1 or 2. [1] The competition between Netscape and Microsoft heated up, with some saying the Internet community "became polarized on the issue of which web browser had the most features." [10] Other new features included ActiveMovie multimedia API, HTML Layout Control, [11] Quick Links toolbar, VRML. [12]

Microsoft announced on July 29, 1996 that it would develop a native version of IE for "Solaris and other popular variants of UNIX" to be available "by the end of 1996" which would have "equivalent functionality as that provided in Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0", thus "delivering on its commitment to provide full-featured Web browser support on all major operating system platforms" as well as "supporting and promoting open standards, including HTML, ActiveX and Java". [13] In March, 1997 following a dispute which "arose between Microsoft and Bristol concerning each other's performance of the 1996 IE Agreement" [14] and likely because of contract negotiations with Bristol to access Windows source code after September 1997 failing, [15] Microsoft reversed course and decided to directly port the Windows version in-house using the MainWin XDE (eXtended Development Environment) application from Mainsoft, [16] the main competitor to Bristol Technology. [14] (Microsoft would later use MainWin to port Windows Media Player and Outlook Express to Unix. [17] ) Now well behind schedule, the 3.0 branch was apparently scrapped in favor of 4.0 (that was released for Windows half a year earlier), which used the new MSHTML (Trident) rendering engine. An Internet Explorer 4 Beta for Solaris was released by the end of 1997, [18] leading to Internet Explorer for UNIX versions, which lasted until Internet Explorer 5.

Backwards compatibility was handled by allowing Users who upgraded to IE3 to still use the last IE, because the installation converted the previous version to a separate directory. [1]

Security

The Princeton Word Macro Virus Loophole was discovered on August 22, 1996, nine days after Internet Explorer 3's release, which could allow Webmasters to cause an end-user's computer to initiate downloads without their consent via a backdoor. [10] Microsoft patched the vulnerability the following day; [10] however, researchers went on to find more vulnerabilities and new types of problems, such as the ability to spoof a website (similar to the later phishing problem), with these issues triggering public concern over browser security. [10] In early 1997, Microsoft released IE 3.02 as an update to fix most of the discovered security problems.

Microsoft Authenticode became inoperable on June 30, 1997, when its trust anchor expired. [19] After this, IE users needed to upgrade to Authenticode 2.0 which required at least IE 3.02. [20] Authenticode is a code signing technology.

Internet Explorer version 3.0 for Macintosh

Internet Explorer 3 for Macintosh was released on January 8, 1997 for PPC, and added support for the SSL and NTLM security protocols and the PICS and RSACi rating systems that can be used to control access to websites based on content ratings. On November 5, 1996 Microsoft announced the release of a beta version for Mac of Internet Explorer version 3.0. This release added support for HTML version 3.2, CSS, [21] Java applets and ActiveX controls. Keith Mitchell of Macworld noted in November 1996, when discussing the IE mac version, "With the near-simultaneous release of Netscape Navigator 3.0 (415/528-2555, http://www.netscape.com) and Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 (206/882-8080, http://www.microsoft.com), both companies are tripping over each other to entice Web users to their products." [22] A problem with an operating system extension used in the Mac OS called CFM68K Runtime Enabler, led 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 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 included support for JavaScript and introduced a Download Manager and a Cookie Manager. The download manager was introduced in version 3.01; [23] version 3.0 would open the download progress bar in the main browser window, forcing the user to either cancel the download and restart it in a new window, or wait for the transfer to complete. [24] MacUser's review noted "While Netscape Navigator 3.0 is more feature-laden and consequently bigger and slower than previous incarnations, Microsoft Internet Explorer has been refined and optimised into a Web browser that has almost as many features, but is both smaller and faster than its rival." [25]

Bundled software

IE3 launched with a variety of integrated apps. [26] The following is a list of those apps and a brief description for each.

Later versions of Internet Explorer 3 included the following:

IE3 also included Microsoft Java Virtual Machine, which continued to be included until IE5.5. Because of a legal battle between Sun Microsystems (the developer of Java), Microsoft stopped offering it in 2001, although it was supported for several years after this (until the end of 2007).

Platform

Major Microsoft OS releases, switched to supporting version 4 or higher. [29] [30] Internet Explorer 3 had a Beta supporting Solaris (UNIX). IE4 integration with the OS meant systems that upgraded from Internet Explorer 3 to 4.0, or came with 4.0, could not easily revert to IE3 (see Removal of Internet Explorer). The Mac OS version supported PPC and 68k Macs, superseding IE 2.1. Microsoft released various 16- and 32-bit versions for Windows.

Internet Explorer 3.03, and subsequently 3.03 Service Pack 1, were released after the launch of IE4. [31]

Encryption

Internet Explorer 3 was the first version of the browser to support SSL 3.0. [32] The last patch versions of Internet Explorer 3 supported 40-bit and 128-bit encryption, using Server Gated Cryptography (SGC). [33] 256-bit encryption would not become available in IE for nearly 10 years.

128-bit encryption was available or included for these versions: [33]

If it was not possible to upgrade to 128-bit, then 40-bit (SGC) was standard. [33]

Version history

32-bit Internet Explorer 3 version numbers are in the form of 4.70.####, where # represents a varying digit. [34]

Release history of Internet Explorer 3
Version nameVersion numberRelease dateShipped withSignificant changes
Old version, no longer maintained: 3.0 Alpha 1 ?March 1996 [35] Improved support of HTML tables, frames, and other elements.
Old version, no longer maintained: 3.0 Beta 1 ?May 29, 1996 [36] VBScript and JScript support
Old version, no longer maintained: 3.0 Beta 2 ?July 17, 1996 [12] CSS and Java support
Old version, no longer maintained: 3.04.70.1155 [34] August 13, 1996 [37] RTM release.
4.70.1158 [34] August 24, 1996 Windows 95 OSR2
3.0.0.1152[ citation needed ]November 1996
Old version, no longer maintained: 3.0a ?January 22, 1997 [29]
Old version, no longer maintained: 3.014.70.1215 [34] October 30, 1996Bug fix release
3.01.[ citation needed ]February 1997
Old version, no longer maintained: 3.024.70.1300 [34] March 25, 1997 [38] Bug and security fix release.
Old version, no longer maintained: 3.02a3.02a.2916[ citation needed ]May 1997
Old version, no longer maintained: 3.033.03.2925[ citation needed ]August 1997Bug fix release
Old version, no longer maintained: 3.03 SP13.03.3006[ citation needed ]August 1998Year 2000 compliance updates. Last version for Windows NT 3.5. [39]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Internet Explorer</span> Web browser series by Microsoft

Internet Explorer is a retired series of graphical web browsers developed by Microsoft that were used in the Windows line of operating systems. While IE has been discontinued on most Windows editions, it remains supported on certain editions of Windows, such as Windows 10 LTSB/LTSC. Starting in 1995, it was first released as part of the add-on package Plus! for Windows 95 that year. Later versions were available as free downloads or in-service packs and included in the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) service releases of Windows 95 and later versions of Windows. Microsoft spent over US$100 million per year on Internet Explorer in the late 1990s, with over 1,000 people involved in the project by 1999. New feature development for the browser was discontinued in 2016 and ended support on June 15, 2022 for Windows 10 Semi-Annual Channel (SAC), in favor of its successor, Microsoft Edge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Netscape Navigator</span> Web browser by Netscape released in 1994

Netscape Navigator is a discontinued proprietary web browser, and the original browser of the Netscape line, from versions 1 to 4.08, and 9.x. It was the flagship product of the Netscape Communications Corporation and was the dominant web browser in terms of usage share in the 1990s, but by around 2003 its user base had all but disappeared. This was partly because the Netscape Corporation did not sustain Netscape Navigator's technical innovation in the late 1990s.

Netscape Communications Corporation was an American independent computer services company with headquarters in Mountain View, California, and then Dulles, Virginia. Its Netscape web browser was once dominant but lost to Internet Explorer and other competitors in the first browser war, with its market share falling from more than 90 percent in the mid-1990s to less than one percent in 2006. An early Netscape employee, Brendan Eich, created the JavaScript programming language, the most widely used language for client-side scripting of web pages. A founding engineer of Netscape, Lou Montulli, created HTTP cookies. The company also developed SSL which was used for securing online communications before its successor TLS took over.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NCSA Mosaic</span> Early web browser (1993–1997)

NCSA Mosaic was among the first widely available web browsers, instrumental in popularizing the World Wide Web and the general Internet by integrating multimedia such as text and graphics. Mosaic was the first browser to display images inline with text.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ActiveX</span> Software framework by Microsoft introduced in 1996

ActiveX is a deprecated software framework created by Microsoft that adapts its earlier Component Object Model (COM) and Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) technologies for content downloaded from a network, particularly from the World Wide Web. Microsoft introduced ActiveX in 1996. In principle, ActiveX is not dependent on Microsoft Windows operating systems, but in practice, most ActiveX controls only run on Windows. Most also require the client to be running on an x86-based computer because ActiveX controls contain compiled code.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Browser wars</span> Competition between web browsing applications for share of worldwide usage

A browser war is a competition for dominance in the usage share of web browsers. The "first browser war" (1995–2001) consisted of Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator, and the "second browser war" (2004-2017) between Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Google Chrome.

Spyglass, Inc. was an Internet software company. It was founded in 1990, in Champaign, Illinois, as an offshoot of the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, and later moved to Naperville, Illinois. Spyglass was created to commercialize and support technologies from the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA). It focused on data visualization tools, such as graphing packages and 3D rendering engines.

This is a comparison of both historical and current web browsers based on developer, engine, platform(s), releases, license, and cost.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Internet Explorer for Mac</span> Web browser for Apple computers developed by Microsoft from 1996 to 2003

Internet Explorer for Mac was a proprietary web browser developed by Microsoft for the Macintosh platform to browse web pages. Initial versions were developed from the same code base as Internet Explorer for Windows. Later versions diverged, particularly with the release of version 5, which included the cutting-edge, fault-tolerant and highly standards-compliant Tasman layout engine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">IBM WebExplorer</span> Discontinued web browser for IBM OS/2

IBM WebExplorer was an early web browser designed at IBM facilities in the Research Triangle Park for OS/2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Windows Nashville</span> Codename of Microsoft Windows desktop operating system

Nashville, popularly known as Windows 96 by contemporary press, was the codename for a cancelled release of Microsoft Windows scheduled to be released in 1996, between "Chicago" and "Memphis". Nashville was intended to be a minor release focusing on a tighter integration between Windows and Internet Explorer, in order to better compete with Netscape Navigator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Internet Explorer</span>

Microsoft developed 11 versions of Internet Explorer for Windows from 1995 to 2013. Microsoft also developed Internet Explorer for Mac, Internet Explorer for UNIX, and Internet Explorer Mobile respectively for Apple Macintosh, Unix, and mobile devices; the first two are discontinued but the latter runs on Windows CE, Windows Mobile, and Windows Phone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Internet Explorer 5</span> Web browser for Windows released in 1999

Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 (IE5) is the fifth, and by now, discontinued, version of the Internet Explorer graphical web browser, the successor to Internet Explorer 4 and one of the main participants of the first browser war. Its distribution methods and Windows integration were involved in the United States v. Microsoft Corp. case. Launched on March 18, 1999. Although Internet Explorer 5 ran only on Windows, its siblings Internet Explorer for Mac 5 and Internet Explorer for UNIX 5 supported Mac OS X, Solaris, and HP-UX.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Internet Explorer 4</span> Web browser for Windows released in 1997

Microsoft Internet Explorer 4 (IE4) is the fourth, and discontinued, version of the Internet Explorer graphical web browser that Microsoft unveiled in Spring of 1997, and released on September 22, 1997, primarily for Microsoft Windows, but also with versions available for the classic Mac OS, Solaris, and HP-UX and marketed as "The Web the Way You Want It".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Internet Explorer 2</span> Web browser for Windows released in 1995

Microsoft Internet Explorer 2 (IE2) is the second, and by now discontinued, version of Internet Explorer (IE), a graphical web browser by Microsoft. It was unveiled in October 1995, and was released on November 27, 1995, for Microsoft Windows, and on April 23, 1996, for Apple Macintosh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Internet Explorer for UNIX</span> Web browser by Microsoft for UNIX systems

Internet Explorer for UNIX is a discontinued version of the Internet Explorer graphical web browser that was available free of charge and produced by Microsoft for use in the X Window System on Solaris or HP-UX. Development ended with a version of Internet Explorer 5 in 2001 and support for it was completely discontinued in 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Netscape (web browser)</span> Family of web browsers

The Netscape web browser is the general name for a series of web browsers formerly produced by Netscape Communications Corporation, which eventually became a subsidiary of AOL. The original browser was once the dominant browser in terms of usage share, but as a result of the first browser war, it lost virtually all of its share to Internet Explorer due to Microsoft's anti-competitive bundling of Internet Explorer with Windows.

A web browser is a software application for retrieving, presenting and traversing information resources on the World Wide Web. It further provides for the capture or input of information which may be returned to the presenting system, then stored or processed as necessary. The method of accessing a particular page or content is achieved by entering its address, known as a Uniform Resource Identifier or URI. This may be a web page, image, video, or other piece of content. Hyperlinks present in resources enable users easily to navigate their browsers to related resources. A web browser can also be defined as an application software or program designed to enable users to access, retrieve and view documents and other resources on the Internet.

Internet Explorer is a series of graphical web browsers developed by Microsoft and included as part of the Microsoft Windows line of operating systems, starting in 1995.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Chau, Jonathan (1 November 1996). "Internet Explorer 3.0". WindowsITPro. Penton Media. Archived from the original on 30 June 2012. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  2. ↑ MacCormack, Alan. "How internet companies build software." MIT Sloan Management Review 42.2 (2001).
  3. ↑ Jones Thompson, Maryann (8 October 1998). "Behind the numbers: Browser market share". CNN . Archived from the original on August 16, 2000. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  4. ↑ Kubaitis, Ed (June 1996). "Browser Statistics for June 1996". Engineering Workstations Lab. University of Illinois. Archived from the original on 7 May 2001. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  5. ↑ Browser wars: High price, huge rewards
  6. 1 2 Håkon Wium Lie; Bert Bos. "Chapter 20 – The CSS saga". World Wide Web Consortium . Retrieved 23 June 2010.
  7. ↑ "Internet Explorer HTML Specification". Citycat.ru. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  8. ↑ Paul Thurrott (January 22, 1997). "Microsoft and Spyglass kiss and make up". Windows IT Pro. Penton Media Inc. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved 2007-02-25.
  9. ↑ "Rethinking The Academy: How to Navigate This Text Without Getting Lost". Technorhetoric.net. 31 August 1996. Archived from the original on 4 July 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Schnoll, Scott. "The History of Internet Explorer". Northwest Networks. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  11. ↑ "Microsoft Announces Utilities for Advanced Web Page Development". news.microsoft.com. 1996-06-10. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  12. 1 2 Veitch, Martin (17 July 1996). "Microsoft releases Internet Explorer 3.0 second beta". ZDNet . CBS Interactive . Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  13. ↑ Best-of-Breed Browsers for Multiple Platforms Archived 2009-01-13 at the Wayback Machine – press release from Microsoft (July 29, 1996)
  14. 1 2 as previously
  15. ↑ Microsoft Files Opposition to Bristol's Motion for Preliminary Injunction – article from Tech Law Journal (September 30, 1998)
  16. ↑ Microsoft launches Internet Explorer on Unix – press release from Mainsoft (March 4, 1998)
  17. ↑ Microsoft to port Internet Explorer technologies to Unix – press release from Mainsoft (August 14, 2000)
  18. ↑ Microsoft's Internet Explorer 4.0 for Solaris (Screenshot) – Robert McMillan writing for SunWorld (November 5, 1997)
  19. ↑ "Authenticode: Important Release Information". MSDN. Microsoft. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
  20. ↑ "Internet Explorer Security Issues (1996–2002)". Northwest Networks. Archived from the original on 14 July 2011. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  21. ↑ "Migrating from Internet Explorer 3.0 to Internet Explorer 4.0 and Later". MSDN . Microsoft. 16 May 2011. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  22. ↑ [ dead link ]
  23. ↑ "Archived – Mac OS 8: Internet Explorer Read Me".
  24. ↑ "The Mac Observer: Internet Explorer 3.0 Review". 22 October 2021. Another minor annoyance is Internet Explorer's use of a single window to download a file using HTTP. Netscape automatically spawns a sub-window, which allows you to continue browsing while the download commences. Explorer's default action is to perform the download using the current window, preventing further browsing during the download.
  25. ↑ Grace, Clive (16 January 2009). "Products Reviews: Internet Explorer 3". MacUser . Dennis Publishing. Archived from the original on 16 January 2009. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  26. 1 2 "Internet Explorer History". Windows History. Microsoft. 30 June 2003. Archived from the original on 2 October 2003. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  27. ↑ Reid, Stephen (October 1997). "Product Reviews: Internet Explorer 4". PC Pro . Dennis Publishing. Archived from the original on 21 March 2005. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  28. ↑ "RealNetworks Granted Fundamental Streaming Media Patent, Enhancing Helix Licensing Program". 2006 Press Releases. Seattle, Washington: RealNetworks. 24 April 2006. Archived from the original on 23 May 2006. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  29. 1 2 Thurrott, Paul (21 January 1997). "Microsoft delivers Internet Explorer 3.0a for Windows 3.1 and NT 3.51". IT Pro. Penton Media. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  30. ↑ "Availability of Internet Explorer 3.02 for Windows 95 and NT 4.0". Microsoft Knowledge Base . December 18, 1998. Archived from the original on May 3, 1999.
  31. ↑ "Internet Explorer 3.03 with Service Pack 1 System Requirements". Microsoft. Archived from the original on 16 April 2000. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  32. ↑ "What browsers only support SSLv2?". Archived from the original on 23 November 2009. Retrieved 11 October 2013.
  33. 1 2 3 "How to upgrade Internet Explorer to 128-bit encryption". Microsoft Support. Microsoft. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  34. 1 2 3 4 5 "How to determine which version of Internet Explorer is installed". Help and Support. Microsoft. 27 October 2004. Archived from the original on 9 November 2004. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  35. ↑ Wilson, Brian. "Internet Explorer (Windows)". Index DOT Html/Css. Retrieved March 30, 2011.
  36. ↑ "Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 Beta Now Available". Microsoft . May 29, 1996. Archived from the original on July 7, 2007. Retrieved March 16, 2011.
  37. ↑ "Microsoft Launches Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 With Exclusive, Free Content Offers From Top Web Sites". Microsoft News Center. August 13, 1996. Retrieved October 14, 2017.
  38. ↑ Saborio, Kenneth R. "WWW Facts - Browsers". Internet Communications Costa Rica. Archived from the original on October 25, 2010.
  39. ↑ "Internet Explorer 3.XX (English British) – Win". Microsoft Year 2000 Readiness Disclosure & Resource Center. 1 August 1997. Archived from the original on 18 April 2005. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
Preceded by Internet Explorer 3
1996		Succeeded by
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.