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Run multiple versions of Internet Explorer on Mac OS X without the need for Windows

IEs4OSXFor all those Web designers and developer wishing to test their web apps in Internet Explorer but always had to boot into a whole Operating system, can now relax. IEs4OSX is a standalone application for the mac that can run multiple version of Internet Explorer (without windows) – from IE 5.0, 5.5, 6.0 to 7.0. All of the necessary files and requirements are automatically downloaded – including default Windows IE fonts and browser plug-ins like Macromedia Flash player. All of that, and the download is completely free.

However, Darwine is a required dependancy. Testing your websites on Internet Explorer has never been so easy. IEs4OSX makes use of wine to install and run IE. So, this will work only for Intel Macs as wine needs an Intel Processor.

The application is reported to be completely stable. IEs4OSX rely on X11, thus browser window looks like something straight out of a monochrome version of Windows 98. Nonetheless, pages render as they should – complete with IE 6 / 7 quirks included CSS rendering issues and window pop-ups. Ain’t that cool?

Here are the goodness of IEs4OSX:

  • VMware and Parallels are great, but having to wait for an entire OS to boot sucks! Thankfully Internet Explorer 6 / 7 load in mere seconds on a MacBook Pro.
  • Typing http://localhost or http://127.0.0.1 from within ies4osx Internet Explorer windows will load your local development directory. No modifications of hosts files necessary.
  • Crossover users will enjoy the eye pleasing anti-aliased font rendering offered by ies4osx installs.
  • Thanks to the automatic installation of standard plugins like Flash, web pages load in their entirety.
  • Saving web pages or files off the internet – by default – are stored in your Home directory.
  • Less memory consumption. VMware Fusion with Internet Explorer running uses 87 MB. Standalone Internet Explorer via X11 24.84 MB.

Via: 5ThirtyOne’s article ies4osx, Internet Explorer, Intel Macs need only apply

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This entry was posted on Friday, November 23rd, 2007 at 2:27 pm and is filed under Freeware, Tips-Tricks. You can follow any comments to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.

  • http://www.tbenjaminlarsen.com T. Benjamin Larsen

    This install is somewhat the definition of flakey under Leopard, but nevertheless a real god-send. Not really suitable for day-to-day use as a browser as it’s hard to actually find where the address-bar in the browser is. Still, despite irritating stuff like this I’m truly grateful as it is at least now possible to check my websites in IE6 without having to install Windows or start a windows-machine on the side.

    Great stuff! Thanks.

  • http://www.nomad-one.com nomad-one

    I’ve just installed this and it worked first time, really helped, but only gave me the option of IE6 none of the other versions?

  • mark

    how do you use this program to view ie7 on mac?

  • rob

    Installed it but only give me the option of IE6. Any ideas why or how I can get hold of IE7?

    Thanks, Rob

  • http://www.bowmankelley.com Bowman

    Although it is excellent to be able to check sites for free on an OSX machine using ies4osx, the fonts are not rendering correctly. Which fonts are included with the ies4osx install?

    It seems that Georgia and Lucide Grande for instance are not installed. Is there a complete list of the fonts that ARE installed or do I have to reinstall and watch the log file

  • help_accounting@yaho

    its really good your article and its really helped. Thanking you

  • Jez

    Hi, The description of the download states that ie7 can be run , yet there are no instructions on how to do this. It is at all possible? Thanks