Test Drive Internet Explorer 5

by Herb Payton

Are you ready for speed, convenience, and greater reliability in a Web browser? If so, then Internet Explorer 5 is just what you need. Many of the Internet Explorer features you may already be familiar with, such as History, Favorites, and AutoComplete, have been improved, while new tools, such as the Search Assistant, have been added to help you find your way around the ever-expanding Internet. So get ready to enjoy all the benefits of Internet Explorer that you're used to, plus a bit more.

Search Assistant makes searching a breeze
Now when you click the Search button on the toolbar, the new Search Assistant appears, taking the mystery and hit-or-miss quality out of searching the Web for information. You can specify what kind of search you want to do, whether for a Web page, a person, a company, or a map. You can even bring up a list of your previous searches. Once you choose the category, Internet Explorer chooses the best search service for your request. And if one service doesn't give you what you need, with one click you can try another.

For each category, you can determine which search services to use and the order in which to use them. And if you want, you can specify that your favorite search service is used all the time.

History made easier
Now it's easier to get back to sites you have visited. In the History bar, click the new View button (or the small arrow next to it) to see your entire list of recently visited sites by date, by site (alphabetized), by pages you visit most often, and by the order in which you viewed them today. Even easier, click the new Search button in the History bar, type a word in the Search History box, and then click Search Now to search the History list.

Easier to read content offline
Subscribing to a Web site has been simplified in Internet Explorer 5. When you add a page to your Favorites list, you can now select the Make available offline option. You can let Internet Explorer update the page for you by clicking Customize and setting up a schedule. That way you'll always have the latest Web content whenever you are ready to read it, whether you're connected to the Internet or not. Or you can update the page yourself whenever you want to by clicking Synchronize on the Tools menu.

Channels and the Favorites list
If you used Internet Explorer 4, you may be wondering where the Channels toolbar button is. Don't worry, Web channels are still available, but they're now in the Favorites list. You can still see all the content on the channel sites, use the Channel Guide, and view the channels offline. The new feature is that now you can manage your channels just like any other favorite item by using the improved Organize Favorites dialog box.

Speaking of which, have you ever wanted to really clean out and organize your Favorites list? Now with the Organize Favorites dialog box it's easy to create, move, delete, and rename your folders and pages in the way that best suits your needs.

And all those subscriptions and schedules you had set up in Internet Explorer 4? Don't worry, they will all be carried over to the new version.

AutoComplete is enhanced
You probably know that if you start to type a Web address in the Address bar, a list of other URLs you've typed appears for you to choose from. But with Internet Explorer 5, AutoComplete also helps you fill out forms on the Web. It can remember your name or other information, so the next time you start typing in a Web form, a list of matches appears - you can just click the entry you want. A great way to avoid typing the same words again and again!

Try out these new and updated tools in Internet Explorer 5. See how fast you can find information using the new Search Assistant. The Internet has just gotten easier, if not a little closer.

To learn more, try the Internet Explorer 5 Tour. It's a good introduction to the new browser.

Herb Payton has worked in documentation production for more years than he'd care to remember. He has now migrated back to his journalistic roots as a freelance writer and hopes to spend more time in his garden.