Microsoft's Web browser, which comes with Windows starting with Windows 98. Commonly called "IE," versions for Mac and Unix are also available. Internet Explorer is the most widely used Web browser on the market. It has also been the browser engine in AOL's Internet access software.

The Browser Wars

In the mid-1990s, Netscape began to turn the computer world upside down with its Navigator browser, which was a purchased product. Recognizing the Internet's potential, Microsoft developed IE for Windows and gave it away. Netscape eventually made Navigator free, and for a while, IE and Navigator vied for top place by adding functions fast and furiously. Ultimately, IE won the lion's share of the market because it was part of the operating system.

Internet Explorer

Internet Explorer is the most popular Web browser because it comes with Windows. This Web page was obtained by typing in www.artistexpo.com in the Address box. (Web page example courtesy of Pyramid Studios, www.artistexpo.com)