Microsoft Internet Explorer for Unix
Summary
In 1996 Microsoft announced that it would also offer Internet Explorer for Unix by the end of the year, free of charge and with the features of the Windows 95 version 3.0. The company named Sun’s Solaris 2 as the first target system. ActiveX development environments for Unix were to follow, an expression of Bill Gates’ realignment towards the internet.
Ideas
- Microsoft aligned its porting strategy with the internet rather than with Windows alone.
- A free browser on Unix was meant to carry Microsoft’s web technology onto other platforms.
- ActiveX for Unix would have made Windows-style web components usable across platforms.
Insights
- Whoever provides the browser on many platforms shapes the technology that websites are built for.
- Ports often serve less the new target group than the spread of the vendor’s own standards.
Facts
- Microsoft explicitly named Solaris 2 as the target system.
References
Critique
- The report repeats the announcement without checking it; whether ActiveX could work securely and completely on Unix remains open.
Remarks
- Internet Explorer for Unix did later appear for Solaris and HP-UX, but remained a marginal product and was discontinued.
Recommendations
- With a vendor’s cross-platform offerings, check which proprietary technologies come along with them.
- For web applications, rely on open standards instead of browser-specific components.
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