REDMOND, Wash., March 22, 1999 — Industry experts have widely praised Internet Explorer 5, agreeing that Microsoft has delivered the fastest, most convenient browser yet.
In the New York Times, Peter H. Lewis praised the browser’s “small but significant” improvements, noting that Internet Explorer 5.0 provides a simple, convenient way to access the wide array of resources available on the Internet.
“By adding radio to its Web browser and the multimedia tools to go with the browser, Microsoft is giving a clear signal of its vision for the future of the Internet,” he writes. “Internet Explorer 5.0 has been turned into a tool not just for searching for and viewing information on the Internet’s World Wide Web or a local hard disk, but also for listening to talk and music, and for watching video clips downloaded from the Net.”
“The Internet is evolving into an entertainment network, augmenting its already established roles as a global information, communications and electronic commerce network. The PC is the primary vehicle for exploring this new medium, and Explorer 5.0 is the dashboard.”
Better Searching
PC Magazine spoke highly of Internet Explorer 5’s improved search features: “You can now search for a Web page, e-mail address, or street address. IE5 does this in part by using AutoSearch, a feature introduced in IE4. When you type a keyword into the URL address box, IE5 will take you to the site that most closely matches that keyword. It will also open the Search pane and present you with a list of additional choices, saving research time if its guess isn’t correct.”
“It’s now easy to use many search engines in IE5 without having to visit each one separately,” the review noted. Simply choose the Next button in the search pane and click through to the next search engine or opt for the drop-down menu to get a choice of eight different search engines.”
Flexible and Customizable
In InfoWorld, Andre Kvitka praised the benefits that Internet Explorer 5.0 offers to administrators: “What really impressed me was IEAK [Internet Explorer Administration Kit] 5.0, an improved utility that offers a simple way to let me build and deploy customized Explorer installation configurations for different groups of people. Using a set of comprehensive wizards, I was able to configure and then publish a custom Explorer installation. The wizards took me step-by-step through the process; I could choose the platform choice, language, and location for the finished custom Explorer installation and a lot more. I was even able to replace graphic elements within the browser such as the rotating globe in the upper right of the browser.”
Simply Put, A Better Browser
“So much is right about the new browser suite, in fact, that I really have to struggle to find things to pick at,” writes Windows Magazine reviewer Scot Finnie. “When all is said and done, IE 5.0 is the best browser you can beg, borrow, steal or download. The list of new features and enhancements is quite long, and includes a heavily revamped Outlook Express 5.0. But not one of the improvements is a big standout. The best thing about this product is the overall experience. It sounds a little silly, but I find myself saying “Aaahhhhh …” in my mind when I’m using it. The sensation is just pure satisfaction.”
1999 by the New York Times. Reprinted by permission.
