Release of Microsoft Internet Explorer

On August 16, 1995, Microsoft released the first version of its web browser, Microsoft Internet Explorer 1.0 (IE1). This release marked a significant milestone in the growth of the internet era, as it played a pivotal role in accelerating the adoption and development of web technologies.

Context and Background

The early 1990s was a period of rapid development for internet technologies, particularly the World Wide Web. At this time, web browsers such as Netscape Navigator were beginning to enable users to access and navigate the internet more easily. Sensing the potential of the web, Microsoft aimed to integrate internet functionality more effectively into its widely popular Windows operating system.

Development and Features

Internet Explorer 1.0 was based on the source code of Spyglass Mosaic, a licensed version of the early Mosaic browser. Designed to work with Windows 95, IE1 was not initially bundled with the operating system but instead offered as part of the Microsoft Plus! add-on package for Windows 95 users.

Initial features of IE1 were basic compared to modern standards. It supported rudimentary HTML and web browsing functionality, giving users the ability to view simple web pages.

Significance and Impact

The release of Internet Explorer marked the beginning of what would become known as the “browser wars,” a period of intense competition between browsers, primarily Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator. This competition drove rapid innovation and improvement in web technologies, contributing to the explosive growth of the internet throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Aftermath and Legacy

Following IE1, Microsoft released several updates, rapidly advancing its capabilities and integrating it as a ubiquitous part of the Windows operating system. Internet Explorer eventually became the dominant web browser through the late 1990s and early 2000s, a status that significantly influenced web development practices and standards.

Today, Internet Explorer’s legacy is evident in the web’s omnipresence and the technological standards that have evolved from this early period of internet growth. Despite its eventual decline in the face of newer competitors like Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer’s role in the development of the internet cannot be understated.