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Free internet browser from Microsoft designed to run on Mac computers

Free internet browser from Microsoft designed to run on Mac computers

Vote: (1,815 votes)

Program license: Free

Developer: Microsoft

Version: 5.2.3

Works under: Mac

Vote:

Program license

(1,815 votes)

Free

Developer

Version

Microsoft

5.2.3

Works under:

Mac

Pros

  • Definitely a classic web browser
  • Works fairly well with the Mac OS
  • Free and simplistic to use
  • A more attractive interface than previous versions

Cons

  • Same old IE bugs and laggy stuff
  • A lot of crashes
  • Not really stable
  • The “MySpace” of web browsers, outdated

Internet Explorer holds a special place in the hearts of many PC users, and now there's a version available for Mac

An Overview of Internet Explorer for Mac

There are dozens of different web browsers on the market that you can get for your Mac computer. Many of them are great and run smoothly. Some are garbage, if we're entirely honest. And some, like Internet Explorer, just have a nostalgic feel.

Almost everyone who uses a Mac has used a PC previously or is familiar with some of those old PC staples, like Internet Explorer, known as IE for short. To be perfectly honest, it's basically an abandoned browser that few people use anymore. For PC users, they get Chrome or Firefox, and IE just sits in the system tray unused.

However, if you're a Mac user and want to give it a try, then IE is available for you on your operating system, and it's a bit revamped for the new OS and has some improved functionality.

What Internet Explorer for Mac Is and What It Does

Internet Explorer is a simple web browser, with a strong emphasis on simple. For many years and many different OS versions, it was the inbuilt, go-to browser for Windows. However, around the time Windows XP hit the market, other browsers started to replace it. IE is very rudimentary but provides all of the basic browser functions that are necessary for most.

It has a favorites (bookmarks) folder that's probably one of the best out there, in that it catalogs things well and is easy to access. It also plays Flash videos very well and won't require you to enter your permissions every time you use it. The Mac version also looks new and improved, with a sleeker, more attractive interface and skin.

Though when you boil it down, the functionality is pretty much the same. You're getting what you've always gotten with IE: A sluggish, buggy browser that could crash on you if you dare to open two or more tabs. So take it for what it is, a free, rudimentary browser.

Features of Internet Explorer for Mac

There aren't a whole lot of features IE boasts. It has never been heavy on the features. You get a fairly simplistic user interface that allows you to set your own toolbar, your homepage preferences, a bookmarks folder, and different additions and extensions. Though that's about as far as IE goes on giving you anything useful.

In fact, this download option was rated so poorly among users that it's hard to find now. A lot of places no longer even offer the download. That goes to show you that this is a browser that has a lot more negatives than positives, so it's suggested primarily to old PC users who are feeling a bit nostalgic.

The fact is that this is a simplistic browser. If you need a place to store bookmarks so your other browsers don't get crowded, then it could work for you. For an everyday browser, however, it just doesn't run well enough. But many Mac users find the throwback IE a cool, nostalgic thing.

Pros and Cons of Internet Explorer for Mac

Pros

  • Definitely a classic web browser
  • Works fairly well with the Mac OS
  • Free and simplistic to use
  • A more attractive interface than previous versions

Cons

  • Same old IE bugs and laggy stuff
  • A lot of crashes
  • Not really stable
  • The “MySpace” of web browsers, outdated