Microsoft Announces Broad Availability of Microsoft Internet Explorer Beta Versions for Apple Macintosh, Microsoft Windows 3.1

Microsoft Announces Broad Availability of Microsoft Internet Explorer Beta Versions for Apple Macintosh, Microsoft Windows 3.1

Windows 95 Version Available in 12 Languages, the Broadest Global Support of Any Browser

REDMOND, Wash. – Jan. 23, 1996 – Microsoft Corp. today released beta versions of its Microsoft® Internet Explorer software for the Apple® Macintosh® and Windows® 3.1 operating systems. The new versions of Microsoft’s popular World Wide Web browser demonstrate Microsoft’s commitment to remaining the leading software supplier for the Macintosh and to providing the 16-bit and cross-platform support needed especially by corporate users. Like Internet Explorer 2.0 for the Windows®
95 operating system, the new cross-platform versions are available on the Internet at no charge.

The company also announced that localized versions of Internet Explorer 2.0 for Windows 95 are now available in 12 languages, bringing Microsoft’s Web browser to the largest international audience of any Internet client software. Internet Explorer for Windows 95 is now available in Brazilian Portuguese, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Spanish and Swedish. Internet Explorer will soon be released in most of the 16 additional languages in which Windows 95 is now available, with Eastern European and Far East language versions scheduled to ship by the end of the first quarter.

Cross-Platform Versions Provide Ease of Use, Compatibility, Performance

Internet Explorer 2.0 for Macintosh provides the best browsing performance for the Macintosh, taking advantage of multithreading, progressive rendering and HTTP-KeepAlive technologies. Developed specifically for use with Apple’s System 7.1 operating system, Internet Explorer is completely integrated with the Macintosh user interface and its underlying architecture, supporting both Open Transport and MacTCP®
. Its support for new types of content, such as background sounds and scrolling marquees, along with its feature and interface compatibility with the Windows 95 version, make it ideal for cross-platform users.

Internet Explorer for Windows 3.1 gives users of the 16-bit Windows platform a convenient, integrated way to access the Internet and provides a smooth upgrade path to the
32-bit Windows platforms.

“We’re excited to now offer our innovative Internet Explorer Web browser to such a broad group of users across multiple platforms and around the world,”
said Brad Silverberg, senior vice president of the personal systems division at Microsoft.
“The Windows 3.1 version is great for our corporate customers as well, because it lets them give their 16-bit users Internet access as they make the transition to a full 32-bit environment.”

Internet Explorer is the fastest-growing browser software in the industry. Approximately 30 percent of licensed users of Windows 95 who use a Web browser obtained Internet Explorer within 90 days of the release of version 1.0. Developer support is also strong: In the less than 60 days since the Internet Explorer logo program began, there have been more than 4,000 World Wide Web sites bearing the Internet Explorer logo. These sites are specifically designed to provide Internet Explorer users with the richest possible viewing experience.

Availability

The new beta versions of Internet Explorer for Macintosh and Windows 3.1 and the localized versions of Internet Explorer for Windows 95 are available to download from the Internet at no charge (other than the cost of connect time, if any) at Microsoft’s World Wide Web home page (http://www.microsoft.com). Final release versions are expected to be available in the first quarter of 1996 at no charge. Microsoft is also planning to release a beta version of Internet Explorer for the Windows NT
™
Workstation operating system later this quarter.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.

Microsoft, Windows and Windows NT are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.

Apple, Macintosh and MacTCP are registered trademarks of Apple Computer Inc.

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