Today it is 15 years since the first version of Internet Explorer was released, and a lot has happened since then.
In 1995, on August 16, Microsoft released its first browser, Internet Explorer 1.0. Internet Explorer was actually a redesigned version of a previous browsers known as Spyglass Mosaic, which was originally released in 1983.
Internet Explorer was first released as an extension package called Plus! for Windows 95, which could only be purchased on a CD. Later versions of Internet Explorer could then be downloaded for free from the internet.
When Internet Explorer 1.0 was released, the competitor Netscape Navigator had more or less the entire market.
In a period of only seven years Internet Explorer outclassed Netscape, and had captured 95 percent of the browser market. This is obviously because Microsoft integrated Internet Explorer into their Windows operating system.
In 2004, Mozilla Firefox was launched and Microsoft suddenly had an unexpected competition from an unknown challenger who also was based on open source. Internet Explorer, however, maintained its position as the dominant browser, and currently has about 60 percent of the market.
Microsoft will release the first beta version of Internet Explorer 9, on September 15th. This will be the company’s first browser that uses the computer’s hardware in order to display web pages with advanced 3D graphics.
Source: IDG News
