Internet Explorer Mini Site

Internet Explorer Mini Site

  2. Your Internet Explorer Version
  3. Internet Explorer Problems
  4. Internet Explorer Solutions
  5. Firefox for the Internet Explorer User
  6. Make Internet Explorer render XHTML
  7. Choosing a Browser
  8. Download a Browser
  9. Frequently Asked Questions
  10. How the Internet Explorer Landing Page works
  11. How the Internet Explorer Version Detection works
  12. Valid Internet Explorer Conditional Comments

Internet Explorer Mini-Site

Internet Explorer is not a web browser

The main site uses web standards exclusively. It has no browser-specific content.
All web browsers worthy of the name will render it correctly.
Internet Explorer does not.

The problem is not that the site doesn’t work in Internet Explorer. The site works just fine.
It complies with modern web standards and can be viewed with any current web browser.

The problem is that Internet Explorer does not support modern standard-based web sites.
In plain English: Internet Explorer is not a real web browser.

This mini site provides information on Internet Explorer, upgrading Internet Explorer, a quick fix for Internet Explorer, and upgrading to a real browser. It includes a FAQ and for those who are interested, even an explanation about how this landing page and the Internet Explorer version detection page work.

If you have applied the quick fix to Internet Explorer, and just do not want to see this page again, simply visit the home page directly and do not add the site, but that home page to your bookmarks.

recommendations

If you are still using Internet Explorer, I recommend upgrading to a web browser.
This Internet Explorer mini site provides some brief remarks about choosing a browser, and links to download a browser.

If you prefer Internet Explorer despite its many shortcomings, do upgrade to the latest version of Internet Explorer.
Another option is to apply a quick fix to make Internet Explorer render XHTML, but you are better of with Firefox and a few Firefox add-ons that make it look like Internet Explorer, see Firefox for the Internet Explorer User.

support

Please understand that I cannot help you with Internet Explorer problems and limitations.
Internet Explorer is a Microsoft product, so please contact Microsoft Support with any questions.

You can also let Microsoft know that you would like them to upgrade Internet Explorer to a real web browser.
The Internet Explorer development team welcomes constructive criticism on the Internet Explorer blog.

technical notes

the main site

The main site uses XHTML 1.1 (including the correct application/xhtml+xml MIME type).
Although this web standard dates back to the previous millennium, Internet Explorer still does not support it.

this mini site

These pages uses the older XHTML 1.0 Strict with the discommended but allowed txt/html MIME type. That is a a deviation from best practice only so that Internet Explorer will render the mini site despite its limitations. The layout has been kept simple to avoid problems with Internet Explorer’s misplacement of items (its so-called broken box model). 

links