Internet Explorer 4.0, while offering a host of new features and capabilities was a mess. The base install was over 12 MB big (over 25 MB for a full install!), giving modem users a virtual headache. IE 5.0 is more componentized and, in a bid to stay ahead of the feds should things turn disastrous in court, can be broken down into small enough chunks so that users can install only the system file updates if needed. The problem with Internet Explorer, of course, is that Microsoft is using the product to update key system files; In IE 4.0 a Windows NT Server administrator had to install a Web browser (think about this) to get the latest version of Microsoft's Web server to work. This is clearly unacceptable, and IE 5.0 appears to fix the problem.

Of course, in Windows NT 5.0, the point is moot: The system files, browser files, and other assorted updates will simply ship with the system. Let's take a look at what you get.


Browsing the Web with Internet Explorer 5.0
From the user's standpoint, Internet Explorer 5.0 is just like Internet Explorer 4.0 with only a few minor differences. Microsoft is supporting numerous new Web technologies in IE 5.0, so some pages may not render properly due to coding mistakes or the simple fact that