Microsoft Windows browsers
NOTE: Most of these browsers require that you have SLIP, PPP
or other TCP/IP networking on your PC. The exceptions
are SlipKnot and
I-COMM, which
have slightly more limited features but operate without a proper Internet
connection. SLIP or PPP can be accomplished
over phone lines. You can do this one of two ways: using a
proper SLIP account, which requires the active cooperation of your
network provider or educational institution (see
Frank Hecker's
guide to SLIP and PPP access; URL is <URL:http://access.digex.net/~hecker/> ), or by using
The Internet Adapter or SLiRP, products
which simulate SLIP through your dialup Unix shell account.
Another product,
TwinSock at <URL:http://ugsparc0.eecg.utoronto.ca/~luk/Welcome.html>,
provides equivalent functionality under Windows using its own proxy
protocol. If you only have non-Unix based dialup shell access, or have no PC
at home, your best option at this time is to run
Lynx on the VMS (or Unix, or...) system
you call, or telnet to a browser if you cannot do so.
- Mosaic for Windows
- From NCSA. Available by anonymous FTP from
ftp.ncsa.uiuc.edu in the directory PC/Windows/Mosaic,
or learn more about it on the web:
<URL:http://www.w3.org/hypertext/WWW/MosaicForWindows/Status.html>
The latest versions of WinMosaic support innovative
features such as "AutoSurf", which can automatically retrieve
documents related to the current document to save download time.
-
Netscape
- From Netscape Communications Corp
(URL is: <URL:http://home.netscape.com/info/index.html> ).
Netscape pioneered the incremental display of images during
the download of HTML pages, and the latest beta versions
support Sun's Java,
a cross-platform extension language that allows the web
to be extended in new ways. Netscape also has the best table support of any
browser currently available, in addition to
many extensions to
HTML, not all of which conform to the
proposed standard. Netscape
is a commercial product but can be evaluated free of charge for 90
days by individuals.
The 16-bit version works under both OS/2 and Windows.
Available by anonymous FTP from ftp.netscape.com in the
netscape subdirectory. See Netscape's web site for information
about mirror sites.
-
Quarterdeck Mosaic
- From Quarterdeck. Supports incremental image loading, forms,
new HTML extensions and other modern web browser features. Includes
Internet connectivity software and advanced history-keeping features,
as well as private annotations of web pages.
A 30-day evaluation copy is available
on the web <URL:http://www.qdeck.com/qdeck/demosoft/QMosaic/>.
-
Compuserve Mosaic
- From Compuserve (Spry is now part of Compuserve).
Works under Windows and OS/2. Supports
the mailto: URL, transparent GIFs, ALT tags,
hierarchical hotlists, progressive image rendering, and so forth.
-
Internet Explorer
-
<URL:http://www.microsoft.com/>, from Microsoft.
Supports incremental image loading, forms, HTTP keep-alive,
tables (in the latest betas as of this writing), and many Netscape
extensions to HTML.
-
Internetworks
- From Internetworks, formerly (?) Booklink. Available by anonymous FTP
from ftp.booklink.com in the
directory
lite; this is a demonstration version
of the full browser, which costs $99. Booklink
can open many simultaneous connections in
different windows and display images and
pages progressively; at the time of this
writing it is the only browser to equal
Netscape in this area. The "lite" version can
only open two simultaneous connections, however.
-
SlipKnot
-
SlipKnot is a graphical WWW browser that operates
entirely without SLIP, PPP, an Ethernet connection, or
special server-side software
(but read the SLIP emulator section for another
workaround). SlipKnot features the ability to automatically retrieve
all documents linked to by the current document while the current
document is being read. SlipKnot supports multiple fonts, inline
images, forms, and review of documents you have already received
while new documents arrive. Like I-COMM, SlipKnot operates entirely
through a Unix shell account, not over TCP/IP. SlipKnot does
not require that you install any new
software on your Unix shell account.
You can obtain SlipKnot by anonymous FTP from
oak.oakland.edu in the directory
SimTel/win3/internet.
For more information,
see the SlipKnot information page
(URL is
http://www.interport.net/slipknot/slipknot.html ) or send
a blank email message to slipknot@micromind.com.
-
I-COMM
- I-COMM, like SlipKnot, operates without a true TCP/IP connection.
It requires a Unix shell account, like SlipKnot, or a
VMS shell account, a feature unique to I-COMM.
I-COMM also features Zmodem file transfers in
both directions and complete support for forms.
I-COMM is available for evaluation as shareware
(URL is <URL:http://www.best.com/~icomm/icomm.htm> ).
- IBM OS/2 WebExplorer
- A native IBM OS/2 web browser. WebExplorer is a multithreaded application
and, in addition to the usual "back" and "forward" buttons, features a
visual map of your
exploration of the web. The software supports progressive image rendering.
IBM WebExplorer can be acquired by anonymous
FTP from ftp01.ny.us.ibm.net in the directory pub/WebExplorer/ .
- WebSurfer
- Included with the Chameleon TCP/IP software package from
Netmanage, Inc. Reputedly functional and straightforward.
- Emacs w3-mode
-
A WWW browser for emacs. Runs under Xwindows, NeXTstep, VMS,
OS/2, Windows NT, Windows 3.1, AmigaDOS, or just about any
Unix system. Also has fonts, color, inline images, and mouse
support if using Lemacs, Epoch, or Emacs 19. Also works in
local mode under DOS and on the Macintosh.
Available by anonymous ftp from
ftp.cs.indiana.edu in the directory pub/elisp/w3 .
- Enhanced Mosaic
-
Enhanced Mosaic, from Spyglass, Incorporated, is the commercial
version of NCSA Mosaic. Spyglass does not offer the browser
directly to the public; instead, they license it to various
OEMs. You can learn more about their licensing arrangements
and the existing licensees from the
Spyglass home page (URL is <URL:http://www.spyglass.com/> ).
- UdiWWW
- UdiWWW, unlike all other Windows browsers as of this writing,
supports all of the proposed HTML 3.0 standard (except for <OVERLAY> and
<MATH>) and also supports Netscape's various nonstandard
extensions. UdiWWW is still being tested, but you can obtain it
for yourself and see
(URL is <URL:http://www.uni-ulm.de/~richter/udiwww/index.htm> ).
- Emissary
-
Emissary, from Wollongong, is both a web browser and a concerted effort
to integrate the Internet into the Windows environment
(see <URL:http://www.twg.com> ). For instance, FTP sites
appear much like drives in the file manager, mail can be sent
via drag and drop, and WYSIWYG HTML editing is included.
Emissary supports several Netscape extensions, but lacks support for tables.
-
NetShark
- <URL:http://netshark.inter.net>,
From InterCon Systems Corporation
<URL:http://www.intercon.com>.
Supports incremental displaying of pages and inline images. Supports
extensions to HTML, including background images. NetShark also includes a
MIME compatible mail client. The Lite version is available free of
charge by anonymous ftp from
netshark.inter.net
in the /pub/netshark/ directory.
- Cello
- Browser from Cornell LII. Available by anonymous FTP from
ftp.law.cornell.edu in the directory /pub/LII/cello.
-
WinWeb
- From EINet. Available by anonymous FTP from
ftp.einet.net in the directory /einet/pc/winweb as
the file winweb.zip.
World Wide Web FAQ