Whether in the office or at home – almost nothing works today without the Internet. A reliable web browser is important. You can surf the web with your browser and do research on various topics or make contact with friends via the various social media channels. If you use Internet Explorer, you can look forward to smooth displays and ease of use – but there are a few points to note.
- Internet Explorer (IE on abbreviationfinder) is the former standard browser from Microsoft.
- It scores with smooth page loading and rare crashes.
- In 2015 it was replaced by Microsoft Edge.
- There are no updates available for old versions.
What is Internet Explorer?
It’s the dinosaur among web browsers: Internet Explorer first appeared in 1995 and is still available today. As part of Windows 95, it overtook the pioneer Netscape – the standard browser at the time. The program has evolved over the years: the last version was Internet Explorer 11 from 2013. This was part of Windows 8.1. In 2015, the Microsoft Edge browser replaced the application as the standard browser in Windows. In January 2016, Microsoft stopped supporting the old versions of Internet Explorer.
How is IE different from other web browsers?
A big difference to other browsers is that Internet Explorer was often preinstalled in the past. Its big plus: Websites build up without any problems and crashes rarely occur. Internet Explorer does not provide options for customization. If you don’t value it, you will be able to travel reliably with this browser.
Practical features of Internet Explorer
Fast Googling with IE is particularly practical. If you want to look up a certain word on a website, there is no need to open a new page. You mark the area with a double click, right click and select the “Search with Google” function in the drop-down menu. Sending an interesting page is easy: In the file menu on the left, select “Send” and then “Link by email”. After you have entered the recipient’s address, you can forward the website.
The alternatives to IE
Many alternatives to Internet Explorer have been developed over time. The most popular programs include
- Google Chrome
- Mozilla Firefox
- Opera
- Safari from Apple
- Edge
Nowadays there are over 20 different offers, with each browser having its strengths and weaknesses.
Google Chrome
Google Chrome has been the market leader since 2012. Each open tab runs as an individual process, which results in a high level of stability. You can easily expand the application with various Google services. However, various users have concerns about providing Google with additional data – in addition to that transmitted by the search engine.
Mozilla Firefox
Firefox is an open source program. The browser can be highly individualized with the help of add-ons (extensions) and personas (“disguises” of the appearance) and tailored to your surfing behavior. However, Firefox is known for its high resource usage and occasional crashes.
Opera
Opera knows how to convince with a practical sidebar. The browser can also be expanded. If you use Edge as your standard browser, you can create an individual start page. Practical: It is possible to take notes on websites. However, there are hardly any add-ons available.
Safari
Safari is geared towards Apple users. The browser is recommended for this, all others should use an alternative program, as the Windows versions no longer receive updates.
What version of Internet Explorer do I have?
You use it almost every day, but do you actually know which version of Internet Explorer is installed on your PC? Don’t worry, with a few clicks you can find out. In the browser, click the “Tools” button with the mouse pointer. You will find the area behind the wheel symbol at the top right of the screen. Alternatively, use the keyboard shortcut “Alt + x”. A drop-down menu opens, in which you scroll down and select “Info”. A window will now open showing you the version and the update versions. You can also read off the product ID.
Update IE
If you are using an older version than Windows 7, it is advisable to load the latest browser. This makes it more difficult for malware to gain access to your computer.
Tip: Install Internet Explorer 11, the latest version, which is optimized for fast loading of pages such as Twitter and Facebook using the HTTP / 2 web standard.
Here’s how to make your Internet Explorer faster
If you have the latest version of Internet Explorer on your computer, you can use a few tricks to make it faster. It is important to uncover the resource guzzlers – first and foremost, the cookies. Make sure to delete them from time to time. The add-ons are also a real brake. You open the option “Manage add-ons” in the Extras menu and click “Deactivate” for all seldom used extensions. The “Show Downloads” function is also located under “Extras”. Delete the entries you no longer need from this list – and you are quickly on the web.
