Microsoft Launches IE 5 Preorder Program

Microsoft Corp. Monday launched a preorder program for Internet Explorer 5 which allows users to receive the forthcoming update to IE on CD-ROM.

The latest version of Microsoft’s Web browser is scheduled to be posted to the company’s Web site March 18. The browser can also be preordered for $6.95. The CD-ROMs will be delivered shortly after the browser is released.

Microsoft is expecting big things from the browser, which it says is on pace to become its most popular version ever.

“Customer interest in Internet Explorer 5 has been unprecedented to date, with beta downloads outpacing Internet Explorer 4.0 beta downloads by more than 3-to-1,” said Yosuf Mehdi, Microsoft’s director of Windows marketing.

For the first time, Microsoft plans to simultaneously release versions of IE for Windows 98, 95, NT 3.51, NT 4.0 and Windows 3.1. Versions will also be available for Sun Solaris and HP-UX versions of the Unix operating system.

The browser will also be available in 10 languages at launch, with support for 16 additional languages planned shortly thereafter.

Among the enhancements Microsoft is touting are improved search, navigation and organization features. The company said a recent survey it conducted showed 93 percent of those who had tested the new version were satisfied with the new features.