Overview: Supported Platforms

You can install Internet Explorer 5 and Internet Tools on the following platforms:

• Microsoft Windows
• Windows 32-bit versions, including Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT version 3.51, Windows NT version 4.0, and Windows 2000
• Windows 16-bit versions, including Windows version 3.1 and Windows for Workgroups version 3.11

Note Although Windows NT version 3.51 is a 32-bit platform, it must run the 16-bit version of Internet Explorer.

• UNIX, including Sun Solaris 2.5.1, Sun Solaris 2.6, and Hewlett Packard HP-UX

If your organization uses several different platforms, you will need to deploy and maintain a separate version of Internet Explorer 5 on each platform. Internet Explorer 5 provides a single, standards-based set of technologies for Web authoring, browsing, communication, and collaboration for all supported platforms. The HTML rendering engine for Internet Explorer on Windows and UNIX platforms was derived from the same code base, so developers are assured that content developed for one platform will render the same on all platforms.

Note Although Macintosh is not included in this platform discussion, Internet Explorer for the Macintosh is also developed from the same standards-based set of technologies. If you have deployed Internet Explorer on the Macintosh platform or developed Web content for the Macintosh, you can expect the same benefits of this common browser across all platforms.

If you plan to install Internet Explorer 5 and Internet Tools on different platforms, you should consider the following issues:

• Planning the deployment - To successfully deploy Internet Explorer, you need to determine the platform and browser requirements for all groups targeted to migrate to Internet Explorer. For more information about planning your deployment on different platforms, see Chapter 9, "Planning the Deployment."
• Conducting a pilot program - Before you deploy Internet Explorer to your users, you should conduct a pilot program to test your browser packages for each platform. For more information about conducting a pilot program, see Chapter 11, "Setting Up and Administering a Pilot Program."
• Building custom packages - You can use the Internet Explorer Customization wizard, which is part of the Internet Explorer Administration Kit (IEAK) 5, to build custom packages of Internet Explorer for the Windows and UNIX platforms. For more information about the Internet Explorer Customization wizard, see Chapter 15, "Running the Internet Explorer Customization Wizard."
• Maintaining browser versions - You can use the IEAK Profile Manager to administer Internet Explorer for the Windows and UNIX platforms. The IEAK Profile Manager enables you to update browser settings and manage different versions of the browser from a single location. For more information about using the IEAK Profile Manager, see Chapter 22, "Keeping Programs Updated."