IE5

Internet Explorer 5 (IE5) is the fifth major release of Microsoft's web browser, released in 1999. It was available for Windows platforms including Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows NT 4.0, with subsequent updates and Windows 2000 support. IE5 introduced improvements in speed, security, and standards support over its predecessors and was distributed primarily as part of the Windows operating system, reinforcing Microsoft's position in the browser market during the late 1990s.

Key features included enhanced Dynamic HTML support, increased CSS1 compatibility, improved Document Object Model (DOM) access, and a more capable scripting engine (JScript). It also introduced XML data islands for embedding XML data in HTML, and expanded support for ActiveX controls, enabling richer web applications and component-based functionality.

IE5 contributed to the late-1990s browser wars by expanding Microsoft’s share and accelerating web development on Windows. It established a foundation for subsequent IE releases, such as IE5.5 and IE6, and influenced web standards adoption and browser behavior, though some features remained proprietary and vulnerabilities continued to be a concern in later years. The IE5 line is now viewed in historical context as part of the transition from early browsers to more standards-based development.