Internet Explorer 3
Encyclopedia
Microsoft Internet Explorer 3 (abbreviated as IE3) is a graphical web browser
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. 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. In September 1997 it was superseded by Microsoft Internet Explorer 4
.
Internet Explorer 3 was the first commercial browser with Cascading Style Sheets
(CSS) support. It also introduced support for ActiveX
controls, Java applet
s, inline multimedia, and the Platform for Internet Content Selection
(PICS) system for content metadata
. Version 3 also came bundled with Internet Mail and News, NetMeeting
, and an early version of the Windows Address Book
, and was itself included with Windows 95
OEM
Service Release 2. There were 16-bit and 32-bit versions depending on the OS.
IE3 was the first version 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. "
Internet Explorer 3 is no longer available for download from Microsoft. However, archive 16- and 32-bit versions are publicly available on the Evolt.org browser archive. These include Internet Explorer 3.03 (16-bit for Windows 3.1), Internet Explorer 3.03 (16-bit for Windows NT 3.51), Internet Explorer 3.0 (32-bit), Internet Explorer 3.02 for Windows 95 (32-bit), and Internet Explorer 3.02 for Windows NT 4.0 (32-bit).
, 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 application
s became not as necessary as they once were. CSS were also introduced with version 3 of Internet Explorer. While IE1 and IE2 were said have "paled" in comparison to Netscape, IE3 "delivers a crushing blow to Netscape". The user interface notably changes, with much larger buttons, with more intricate icons, and with a light gray design behind it. Unlike later IE versions, users who upgraded to IE3 could still use the last IE by converting the previous version to a separate directory. It also could import favorites into IE3 from IE1 or 2. 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." Other new features included ActiveMovie
multimedia API, HTML Layout Control, Quick Links toolbar, VRML.
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
". In March, 1997 following a dispute which "arose between Microsoft and Bristol concerning each other’s performance of the 1996 IE Agreement" and likely also because of contract negotiations with Bristol to access Windows source code after September 1997 failing, Microsoft reversed course and decided to directly port the Windows version in-house using the MainWin XDE (eXtended Development Environment) application from Mainsoft
, the main competitor to Bristol Technology. (Microsoft would later also use MainWin to port Windows Media Player
and Outlook Express
to Unix.) 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 Trident rendering engine
. A Internet Explorer 4
Beta for Solaris was released by the end of 1997, 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 separate directory.
s to cause user's computer to initiate downloads without their consent via a backdoor. Microsoft patched the vulnerability the next day. 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). These issues triggered public concern over browser security.
The Microsoft Authenticode expired on June 30, 1997, after which IE users needed to upgrade to Authenticode 2.0 which required at least IE 3.02 Authenticode is a Code signing
technology.
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, Java applet
s 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."
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 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. 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."
Later versions of Internet Explorer 3 also included:
IE3 also included Microsoft Java Virtual Machine
, which continued to be included until 5.5
when due to legal battle between Sun and Microsoft, it had to be removed from the product. Microsoft stopped offering it in 2001, although it was supported for several years after this (until the end of 2007).
, Windows NT 3.51
, and Windows NT 4.0
. Version 3.0 was included in Windows 95
OSR2, but Windows 98
launched with IE4. Major MS OS releases after Win 98, switched to supporting Internet Explorer 4
(or higher). Internet Explorer 3 had a Beta supporting Solaris (UNIX). IE4 integration with the OS meant systems that upgraded from IE3 to 4, or came with 4, 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.
(SGC). 256-bit encryption would not become available in IE for nearly 10 years, with the Windows Vista
version Internet Explorer 7
.
128-bit encryption was available or included for these versions:
If it was not possible to upgrade to 128-bit, then 40-bit (SGC) was standard.
3.02a was the last IE3 for Windows 3.1 and 3.01 for Mac OS, before Internet Explorer 4.0.
Web browser
A web browser is a software application for retrieving, presenting, and traversing information resources on the World Wide Web. An information resource is identified by a Uniform Resource Identifier and may be a web page, image, video, or other piece of content...
released on August 13, 1996 by Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
for Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
and on January 8, 1997 for Apple Mac OS (see IE for Mac
Internet Explorer for Mac
Internet Explorer for Mac was a proprietary web browser developed by Microsoft for the Macintosh platform. Initial versions were developed from the same code base as Internet Explorer for Windows...
). It began serious competition against Netscape Navigator
Netscape Navigator
Netscape Navigator was a proprietary web browser that was popular in the 1990s. It was the flagship product of the Netscape Communications Corporation and the dominant web browser in terms of usage share, although by 2002 its usage had almost disappeared...
in the first Browser war. 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. In September 1997 it was superseded by Microsoft Internet Explorer 4
Internet Explorer 4
Microsoft Internet Explorer 4 is a graphical web browser released in September 1997 by Microsoft, primarily for Microsoft Windows, but also with versions available for Apple Mac OS, Solaris, and HP-UX and marketed as "The Web the Way You Want It".It was one of the main participants of the first...
.
Internet Explorer 3 was the first commercial browser with Cascading Style Sheets
Cascading Style Sheets
Cascading Style Sheets is a style sheet language used to describe the presentation semantics of a document written in a markup language...
(CSS) support. It also introduced support for ActiveX
ActiveX
ActiveX is a framework for defining reusable software components in a programming language-independent way. Software applications can then be composed from one or more of these components in order to provide their functionality....
controls, Java applet
Java applet
A Java applet is an applet delivered to users in the form of Java bytecode. Java applets can run in a Web browser using a Java Virtual Machine , or in Sun's AppletViewer, a stand-alone tool for testing applets...
s, inline multimedia, and the Platform for Internet Content Selection
Platform for Internet Content Selection
The Platform for Internet Content Selection is a specification created by W3C that uses metadata to label webpages to help parents and teachers control what children and students can access on the Internet. The W3C Protocol for Web Description Resources project integrates PICS concepts with RDF...
(PICS) system for content metadata
Metadata
The term metadata is an ambiguous term which is used for two fundamentally different concepts . Although the expression "data about data" is often used, it does not apply to both in the same way. Structural metadata, the design and specification of data structures, cannot be about data, because at...
. Version 3 also came bundled with Internet Mail and News, NetMeeting
Microsoft NetMeeting
Microsoft NetMeeting was a VoIP and multi-point videoconferencing client included in many versions of Microsoft Windows . It used the H.323 protocol for video and audio conferencing, and was interoperable with OpenH323-based clients such as Ekiga, and Internet Locator Service as reflector...
, and an early version of the Windows Address Book
Windows Address Book
Windows Address Book is a component of Microsoft Windows that lets users keep a single list of contacts that can be shared by multiple programs. It is most commonly used by Outlook Express. It was introduced with Internet Explorer 3 in 1996 and improved in subsequent versions. The Windows Address...
, and was itself included with Windows 95
Windows 95
Windows 95 is a consumer-oriented graphical user interface-based operating system. It was released on August 24, 1995 by Microsoft, and was a significant progression from the company's previous Windows products...
OEM
Original Equipment Manufacturer
An original equipment manufacturer, or OEM, manufactures products or components that are purchased by a company and retailed under that purchasing company's brand name. OEM refers to the company that originally manufactured the product. When referring to automotive parts, OEM designates a...
Service Release 2. There were 16-bit and 32-bit versions depending on the OS.
IE3 was the first version developed without Spyglass source code
Source code
In computer science, source code is text written using the format and syntax of the programming language that it is being written in. Such a language is specially designed to facilitate the work of computer programmers, who specify the actions to be performed by a computer mostly by writing source...
, 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. "
Internet Explorer 3 is no longer available for download from Microsoft. However, archive 16- and 32-bit versions are publicly available on the Evolt.org browser archive. These include Internet Explorer 3.03 (16-bit for Windows 3.1), Internet Explorer 3.03 (16-bit for Windows NT 3.51), Internet Explorer 3.0 (32-bit), Internet Explorer 3.02 for Windows 95 (32-bit), and Internet Explorer 3.02 for Windows NT 4.0 (32-bit).
Overview
Internet Explorer 3.0 was released free of charge in August 1996 by bundling it with Windows 95 OSR2, another OEM release. 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. Version 3 included Internet Mail and News 1.0 and the Windows Address Book. It also brought the browser much closer to the bar that had been set by NetscapeNetscape
Netscape Communications is a US computer services company, best known for Netscape Navigator, its web browser. When it was an independent company, its headquarters were in Mountain View, California...
, including the support of Netscape's plugins technology (NPAPI
NPAPI
Netscape Plugin Application Programming Interface is a cross-platform plugin architecture used by many web browsers.It was first developed for the Netscape family of browsers starting with Netscape Navigator 2.0 but was subsequently implemented by many other browsers, including all of the browsers...
), ActiveX
ActiveX
ActiveX is a framework for defining reusable software components in a programming language-independent way. Software applications can then be composed from one or more of these components in order to provide their functionality....
, frames
Framing (World Wide Web)
When using web browsers, the terms frames or frameset refer to the display of two or more web pages or media elements displayed side-by-side within the same browser window...
, and a reverse-engineered
Reverse engineering
Reverse engineering is the process of discovering the technological principles of a device, object, or system through analysis of its structure, function, and operation...
version of JavaScript
JavaScript
JavaScript is a prototype-based scripting language that is dynamic, weakly typed and has first-class functions. It is a multi-paradigm language, supporting object-oriented, imperative, and functional programming styles....
named JScript
JScript
JScript is a scripting language based on the ECMAScript standard that is used in Microsoft's Internet Explorer.JScript is implemented as a Windows Script engine. This means that it can be "plugged in" to any application that supports Windows Script, such as Internet Explorer, Active Server Pages,...
. Later, Microsoft NetMeeting
Microsoft NetMeeting
Microsoft NetMeeting was a VoIP and multi-point videoconferencing client included in many versions of Microsoft Windows . It used the H.323 protocol for video and audio conferencing, and was interoperable with OpenH323-based clients such as Ekiga, and Internet Locator Service as reflector...
and Windows Media Player
Windows Media Player
Windows Media Player is a media player and media library application developed by Microsoft that is used for playing audio, video and viewing images on personal computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system, as well as on Pocket PC and Windows Mobile-based devices...
were integrated into the product and thus helper application
Helper application
A helper application is an external viewer program launched to display content retrieved using a web browser. Some common examples include Windows Media Player and QuickTime Player for playing streaming content....
s became not as necessary as they once were. CSS were also introduced with version 3 of Internet Explorer. While IE1 and IE2 were said have "paled" in comparison to Netscape, IE3 "delivers a crushing blow to Netscape". The user interface notably changes, with much larger buttons, with more intricate icons, and with a light gray design behind it. Unlike later IE versions, users who upgraded to IE3 could still use the last IE by converting the previous version to a separate directory. It also could import favorites into IE3 from IE1 or 2. 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." Other new features included ActiveMovie
ActiveMovie
ActiveMovie is a streaming media technology now known as DirectShow, developed by Microsoft to replace Video for Windows. ActiveMovie allows users to view media streams, whether distributed via the Internet, an intranet and CD-ROMs....
multimedia API, HTML Layout Control, Quick Links toolbar, VRML.
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
HTML
HyperText Markup Language is the predominant markup language for web pages. HTML elements are the basic building-blocks of webpages....
, ActiveX
ActiveX
ActiveX is a framework for defining reusable software components in a programming language-independent way. Software applications can then be composed from one or more of these components in order to provide their functionality....
and Java
Java (programming language)
Java is a programming language originally developed by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems and released in 1995 as a core component of Sun Microsystems' Java platform. The language derives much of its syntax from C and C++ but has a simpler object model and fewer low-level facilities...
". In March, 1997 following a dispute which "arose between Microsoft and Bristol concerning each other’s performance of the 1996 IE Agreement" and likely also because of contract negotiations with Bristol to access Windows source code after September 1997 failing, Microsoft reversed course and decided to directly port the Windows version in-house using the MainWin XDE (eXtended Development Environment) application from Mainsoft
Mainsoft
Mainsoft is a software company, founded in 1993, that develop interoperability software products for Microsoft Windows and Linux/Unix platforms.-History:Mainsoft was founded in 1993, mainly to propose integration solutions between Windows and other systems....
, the main competitor to Bristol Technology. (Microsoft would later also use MainWin to port Windows Media Player
Windows Media Player
Windows Media Player is a media player and media library application developed by Microsoft that is used for playing audio, video and viewing images on personal computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system, as well as on Pocket PC and Windows Mobile-based devices...
and Outlook Express
Outlook Express
Outlook Express is an email and news client that is included with Internet Explorer versions 4.0 through 6.0. As such, it is also bundled with several versions of Microsoft Windows, from Windows 98 to Windows Server 2003, and is available for Windows 3.x, Windows NT 3.51, Windows 95 and Mac OS 9...
to Unix.) 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 Trident rendering engine
Trident (layout engine)
Trident is the name of the layout engine for the Microsoft Windows version of Internet Explorer.It was first introduced with the release of Internet Explorer version 4.0 in October 1997; it has been steadily upgraded and remains in use today...
. A Internet Explorer 4
Internet Explorer 4
Microsoft Internet Explorer 4 is a graphical web browser released in September 1997 by Microsoft, primarily for Microsoft Windows, but also with versions available for Apple Mac OS, Solaris, and HP-UX and marketed as "The Web the Way You Want It".It was one of the main participants of the first...
Beta for Solaris was released by the end of 1997, leading to Internet Explorer for UNIX
Internet Explorer for UNIX
Internet Explorer for UNIX was a proprietary 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...
versions, which lasted until Internet Explorer 5
Internet Explorer 5
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 was a graphical web browser released in March 1999 by Microsoft, primarily for Microsoft Windows, but initially with versions available for Apple Macintosh, Sun Solaris, and HP-UX. It was one of the main participants of the first browser war...
.
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 separate directory.
Security
The Princeton Word Macro Virus Loophole was discovered on August 22, 1996, nine days after Internet Explorer 3, which could allow WebmasterWebmaster
A webmaster , also called a web architect, web developer, site author, or website administrator is a person responsible for maintaining one or many websites...
s to cause user's computer to initiate downloads without their consent via a backdoor. Microsoft patched the vulnerability the next day. 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
Phishing
Phishing is a way of attempting to acquire information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication. Communications purporting to be from popular social web sites, auction sites, online payment processors or IT...
problem). These issues triggered public concern over browser security.
The Microsoft Authenticode expired on June 30, 1997, after which IE users needed to upgrade to Authenticode 2.0 which required at least IE 3.02 Authenticode is a Code signing
Code signing
Code signing is the process of digitally signing executables and scripts to confirm the software author and guarantee that the code has not been altered or corrupted since it was signed by use of a cryptographic hash....
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 NTLMNTLM
In a Windows network, NTLM is a suite of Microsoft security protocols that provides authentication, integrity, and confidentiality to users....
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
HTML
HyperText Markup Language is the predominant markup language for web pages. HTML elements are the basic building-blocks of webpages....
version 3.2, CSS, Java applet
Java applet
A Java applet is an applet delivered to users in the form of Java bytecode. Java applets can run in a Web browser using a Java Virtual Machine , or in Sun's AppletViewer, a stand-alone tool for testing applets...
s 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,
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 also included features from the Windows version of Internet Explorer 4.0 such as AutoComplete
Autocomplete
Autocomplete is a feature provided by many web browsers, e-mail programs, search engine interfaces, source code editors, database query tools, word processors, and command line interpreters. Autocomplete involves the program predicting a word or phrase that the user wants to type in without the...
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
HTTP cookie
A cookie, also known as an HTTP cookie, web cookie, or browser cookie, is used for an origin website to send state information to a user's browser and for the browser to return the state information to the origin site...
Manager. 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."
Bundled and/or integrated software
IE3 launched with a variety of integrated apps, with some added later.- Internet Mail and News an e-mail and news clientNews clientA newsreader is an application program that reads articles on Usenet . Newsreaders act as clients which connect to a news server, via the Network News Transfer Protocol , to download articles and post new articles...
included with IE3. It was replaced/renamed in IE4 as Outlook Express 4.0Outlook ExpressOutlook Express is an email and news client that is included with Internet Explorer versions 4.0 through 6.0. As such, it is also bundled with several versions of Microsoft Windows, from Windows 98 to Windows Server 2003, and is available for Windows 3.x, Windows NT 3.51, Windows 95 and Mac OS 9...
. - Windows Address BookWindows Address BookWindows Address Book is a component of Microsoft Windows that lets users keep a single list of contacts that can be shared by multiple programs. It is most commonly used by Outlook Express. It was introduced with Internet Explorer 3 in 1996 and improved in subsequent versions. The Windows Address...
an application that has a local database and user interface that lets users keep a single list of contacts that can be shared by multiple programs. It can query LDAPLightweight Directory Access ProtocolThe Lightweight Directory Access Protocol is an application protocol for accessing and maintaining distributed directory information services over an Internet Protocol network...
servers or read/write data to a local .wab file. Later versions were no longer bundled with IE, instead with Windows until VistaWindows VistaWindows Vista is an operating system released in several variations developed by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, tablet PCs, and media center PCs...
. - Microsoft Comic ChatMicrosoft Comic ChatMicrosoft Comic Chat is a graphical IRC client created by Microsoft, first released with Internet Explorer 3.0 in 1996...
is a text chattingOnline chatOnline chat may refer to any kind of communication over the Internet, that offers an instantaneous transmission of text-based messages from sender to receiver, hence the delay for visual access to the sent message shall not hamper the flow of communications in any of the directions...
program that used cartoon avatarAvatar (computing)In computing, an avatar is the graphical representation of the user or the user's alter ego or character. It may take either a three-dimensional form, as in games or virtual worlds, or a two-dimensional form as an icon in Internet forums and other online communities. It can also refer to a text...
s to display text and emotion. It was updated and renamed Microsoft Chat 2.0 in IE4Internet Explorer 4Microsoft Internet Explorer 4 is a graphical web browser released in September 1997 by Microsoft, primarily for Microsoft Windows, but also with versions available for Apple Mac OS, Solaris, and HP-UX and marketed as "The Web the Way You Want It".It was one of the main participants of the first...
(not to be confused with the later Microsoft ChatMicrosoft ChatWindows Chat is a simple LAN-based text chatting program included in the Windows NT-line of operating systems, including Windows NT 3.x, 4.0, Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. It utilizes the NetBIOS session service and NetDDE. Users can chat with each other over a LAN or the...
(WinChat program). - Real Player was a streaming media player made by Progressive Networks (later called RealNetworksRealNetworksRealNetworks, Inc. is a provider of Internet media delivery software and services based in Downtown Seattle, Washington, United States. The company is the creator of RealAudio, a compressed audio format; RealVideo, a compressed video format; RealPlayer, a media player; RealDownloader, a download...
). The first version of RealPlayer was introduced in April 1995 as RealAudio Player and was one of the first media players capable of streaming mediaStreaming mediaStreaming media is multimedia that is constantly received by and presented to an end-user while being delivered by a streaming provider.The term "presented" is used in this article in a general sense that includes audio or video playback. The name refers to the delivery method of the medium rather...
over the InternetInternetThe Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
. Versions 3.0.1 for Windows 3.11 - RealPlayer 2.1.1.10, 3.0.2 for Windows 95 - RealPlayer 2.1.1.9, and 3.0.2 for Windows NT - RealPlayer 2.1.1.9.
Later versions of Internet Explorer 3 also included:
- Microsoft NetMeetingMicrosoft NetMeetingMicrosoft NetMeeting was a VoIP and multi-point videoconferencing client included in many versions of Microsoft Windows . It used the H.323 protocol for video and audio conferencing, and was interoperable with OpenH323-based clients such as Ekiga, and Internet Locator Service as reflector...
is a VoIP and multi-point videoconferencingVideoconferencingVideoconferencing is the conduct of a videoconference by a set of telecommunication technologies which allow two or more locations to interact via two-way video and audio transmissions simultaneously...
client that uses the H.323H.323H.323 is a recommendation from the ITU Telecommunication Standardization Sector that defines the protocols to provide audio-visual communication sessions on any packet network...
protocol for video and audio conferencing. - Windows Media PlayerWindows Media PlayerWindows Media Player is a media player and media library application developed by Microsoft that is used for playing audio, video and viewing images on personal computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system, as well as on Pocket PC and Windows Mobile-based devices...
an audio and visual media player playing several formats including .avi. The browser could play MIDI files on its own.
IE3 also included Microsoft Java Virtual Machine
Microsoft Java Virtual Machine
The Microsoft Java Virtual Machine was a proprietary Java Virtual Machine computer program from Microsoft. It was first made available for Internet Explorer version 3 so that users could run Java applets when browsing on the World Wide Web. It was the fastest Windows-based implementation of a Java...
, which continued to be included until 5.5
Internet Explorer 5
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 was a graphical web browser released in March 1999 by Microsoft, primarily for Microsoft Windows, but initially with versions available for Apple Macintosh, Sun Solaris, and HP-UX. It was one of the main participants of the first browser war...
when due to legal battle between Sun and Microsoft, it had to be removed from the product. Microsoft stopped offering it in 2001, although it was supported for several years after this (until the end of 2007).
Adoption capability overview
Internet Explorer 3.0 had support for Windows 3.1, Windows 95Windows 95
Windows 95 is a consumer-oriented graphical user interface-based operating system. It was released on August 24, 1995 by Microsoft, and was a significant progression from the company's previous Windows products...
, Windows NT 3.51
Windows NT 3.51
Windows NT 3.51 is the third release of Microsoft's Windows NT line of operating systems. It was released on 30 May 1995, nine months after Windows NT 3.5. The release provided two notable feature improvements; firstly NT 3.51 was the first of a short-lived outing of Microsoft Windows on the...
, and Windows NT 4.0
Windows NT 4.0
Windows NT 4.0 is a preemptive, graphical and business-oriented operating system designed to work with either uniprocessor or symmetric multi-processor computers. It was the next release of Microsoft's Windows NT line of operating systems and was released to manufacturing on 31 July 1996...
. Version 3.0 was included in Windows 95
Windows 95
Windows 95 is a consumer-oriented graphical user interface-based operating system. It was released on August 24, 1995 by Microsoft, and was a significant progression from the company's previous Windows products...
OSR2, but Windows 98
Windows 98
Windows 98 is a graphical operating system by Microsoft. It is the second major release in the Windows 9x line of operating systems. It was released to manufacturing on 15 May 1998 and to retail on 25 June 1998. Windows 98 is the successor to Windows 95. Like its predecessor, it is a hybrid...
launched with IE4. Major MS OS releases after Win 98, switched to supporting Internet Explorer 4
Internet Explorer 4
Microsoft Internet Explorer 4 is a graphical web browser released in September 1997 by Microsoft, primarily for Microsoft Windows, but also with versions available for Apple Mac OS, Solaris, and HP-UX and marketed as "The Web the Way You Want It".It was one of the main participants of the first...
(or higher). Internet Explorer 3 had a Beta supporting Solaris (UNIX). IE4 integration with the OS meant systems that upgraded from IE3 to 4, or came with 4, could not easily revert to IE3 (see Removal of Internet Explorer
Removal of Internet Explorer
Internet Explorer removal has changed over its version history, but the nature of many of its upgrades and installation methods have been a matter of public interest. The first version to be included was version 2 with Windows 95 in late 1996...
). The Mac OS version supported PPC and 68k
68k
The Motorola 680x0/m68000/68000 is a family of 32-bit CISC microprocessors. During the 1980s and early 1990s, they were popular in personal computers and workstations and were the primary competitors of Intel's x86 microprocessors...
Macs, superseding IE 2.1. Microsoft released various 16- and 32-bit versions for Windows.
Encryption
The last patch versions of Internet Explorer 3 supported 40-bit and 128-bit encryption, using Server Gated CryptographyServer gated cryptography
Server Gated Cryptography was created in response to United States federal legislation on the export of strong cryptography in the 1990s....
(SGC). 256-bit encryption would not become available in IE for nearly 10 years, with the Windows Vista
Windows Vista
Windows Vista is an operating system released in several variations developed by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, tablet PCs, and media center PCs...
version Internet Explorer 7
Internet Explorer 7
Windows Internet Explorer 7 is a web browser released by Microsoft in October 2006. Internet Explorer 7 is part of a long line of versions of Internet Explorer and was the first major update to the browser in more than 5 years...
.
128-bit encryption was available or included for these versions:
- Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.03 for Windows NT 3.51 SP 1
- Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.02
- Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 for Macintosh
If it was not possible to upgrade to 128-bit, then 40-bit (SGC) was standard.
Versions
Shdocvw.dll version numbers plus related notes. Unlike later versions, early IE version numbers were numerically out of sync with the .dll numbers because they were based on the Windows version numbers (due to its beginnings in the Microsoft Plus! pack, which also based on the Windows number). IE 1 started with 4.4 because Windows 95 was version 4 of MS Windows. Version go by major version.minor version.build number.sub-build number and included, 4.70.1155 -Internet Explorer 3.0, 4.70.1158 -Internet Explorer 3.0 (Windows 95 OSR2), 4.70.1215 -Internet Explorer 3.01, 4.70.1300 -Internet Explorer 3.02 and 3.02a. 3.02a was the last IE3 for Windows 3.1 and 3.01 for Mac OS, before Internet Explorer 4.0.Overview
| Major version | Minor version | Release date | Significant changes | Shipped with |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Version 3 | 3.0 Alpha 1 | March 1996 | Improved support of HTML tables, frames, and other elements. | |
| 3.0 Alpha 2 | May 1996 | Support of VBScript and JScript. | ||
| 3.0 Beta 2 | July 1996 | Support of CSS and Java. | ||
| 3.0 | August 13, 1996 | Final release. | Windows 95 OSR 2 Windows 95 Windows 95 is a consumer-oriented graphical user interface-based operating system. It was released on August 24, 1995 by Microsoft, and was a significant progression from the company's previous Windows products... |
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| 3.01 | October 1996 | Bug fix release. | Mac OS 8.1 | |
| 3.02 | March 20, 1997 | Bug fix release. | ||
3.02a was the last IE3 for Windows 3.1 and 3.01 for Mac OS, before Internet Explorer 4.0.
External links
- Internet Explorer Architecture
- Internet Explorer Community — The official Microsoft Internet Explorer Community
- Internet Explorer History
- MSDN Introduction to Active Channel Technology