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Internet Explorer and it’s newer cousin Edge browsers work only on Windows machines. If you have a Mac device with you and you want to perform cross browser testing of your website on Internet Explorer or Edge, then you are out of luck. You would have to either invest in a separate Windows device or read this post till the end to know about few better alternatives.

Download Internet Explorer On Mac

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• Internet Explorer Free Download - Internet Explorer is the world's most popular Web browser. Internet Explorer Free Download - Internet Explorer is the world's most popular Web browser. Desktop Utilities. Home & Education. Network & Internet.
• Internet Explorer for Mac was Microsoft's free web browser designed to run on Mac computers. While you can still download Internet Explorer for Mac from this page, it is important to note that the product is no longer supported by Microsoft.
• For those with MacOS 9, it is a fairly safe assumption that most have Microsoft Internet Explorer 5, as it was the default browser when the operating system was current. MSIE 5 for the Mac isn't the worst browser ever released, and it supports some CSS for 'modern' website designs.
• Download Internet Explorer for Mac now from Softonic: 100% safe and virus free. More than 10822 downloads this month. Download Internet Explorer latest version 2020.

Internet Explorer, once the most used browser in the world, has been deprecated back in 2015 by its manufacturer Microsoft. There are plenty of reasons behind the death of IE, primary reason was the dim light over the new and more advanced browser introduced by Microsoft called Edge. Even after being discontinued from the last 4 years, IE still holds a bigger market share than Edge.

Now, although the difference in browser market share is not so significant looking at the present. But let us have a look at it again from the last 4 years when Edge got launched and IE was discontinued by Microsoft.

As you can see the fall of IE is a lot faster than the rise of Edge. Now, Microsoft has joined the other side in the browser wars and are using Chrome’s Blink engine to create a brand new Edge browser, completely abandoning the Chakra framework. Not sure what these browser engines and framework meant?

In our previous posts, we talked about the cross browser compatibility testing of websites on Internet Explorer browsers. More specifically we talked about the death of IE and looked at some stats on why Internet Explorer, even after being deprecated, is still used by a lot of people today. Holding an overall browser market share of 2.52% makes it a relevant browser to keep in mind while preparing your cross browser testing checklist.

With that said, what if you have a Mac operating system? How can you test on IE for mac then? We know that IE for mac cannot be configured for MacOS but you cannot expect your customers to understand which operating system you used while developing your website. If your website is not cross browser compatible and fails to render properly in IE then you are losing that 2.52% of all the people using the internet and that my friend, is a significant number. My point being, you need to test on IE for mac even if you are using a MacOS.

You may be thinking how is that possible? Don’t worry! This post we are going to explore 9 different alternatives for you to test internet explorer on mac.

Why Are You Not Able To Test With IE For Mac?

Internet Explorer was once the default browser on Mac systems from 1998 to 2003. It was a result of the agreement between the two companies (Microsoft and Apple) that stated for five years, Internet explorer would be the default browser on Macintosh systems. It was a move to publicize Internet Explorer and give it a reach to each and every person using a computer. Microsoft even developed a separate development engine just for making Internet Explorer available for Mac systems. Not surprisingly, Internet Explorer became the most used browser in history.

However, this partnership did not last long. After five years, Apple introduced the Safari browser as the default browser in its systems. Arguably, Apple was not happy with the way Microsoft was treating Mac Systems. Internet Explorer updates would always be delayed in Mac systems. The reason for this is not known but the discussions on the development community state that developing the feature according to the Mac compatibility is very hard considering how to lose Internet Explorer is built-in regard to the W3C(World Wide Web Consortium) standards.

So, a feature that a Windows user had would take a year or more to be introduced for the Mac systems users. Apple was not happy with this behavior and they not only removed the Internet Explorer from their computers but also from their Apple application store. But, this created an issue for web developers. Internet Explorer had a huge loyal customer base and now that there was a new browser Safari for macOS, meant that the cross browser compatibility issues are standing around the corner once they test their website on macOS.

Cross Browser Testing with Internet Explorer

Cross browser testing means testing your website on different browsers, operating systems or resolutions. Testing your website on different platforms gives you the confidence of gaining your audience and presenting your website in a way it was designed to be, to all possible potential users. Cross browser compatibility testing helps the developer figure out the issues that will arise on different browsers and plan the site rendering in a better way to accommodate the way a browser renders the HTML code. You can use various tools and software available online to achieve cross-browser testing aims. Going conventional, it is not so easy to test IE on MacOS. There are some issues that stop a web developer from going through conventional ways to test IE on macOS.

How To Test With Internet Explorer on MacOS?

To perform a cross browser compatibility check of your website, you would need to test with IE on MacOS, and it was once considered a very challenging task. But the evolution of the programming languages and the advancement in various technologies have broken down this barrier for good. Now, you have multiple options to effortlessly perform testing with internet explorer on macOS. Not only website, but some of the methods will also brief about how to open Internet Explorer on MacOS System. So, the inner circle of the focus of this post would remain to test on Internet Explorer while the outer circle will enlighten about using Internet Explorer in general.

1. Online Cross Browser Testing Tools

Let’s start with the most obvious and preferred method that comes to everyone’s mind when someone says anything about testing a website.The easiest and the most cost-effective method is to take the help of an online cross browser testing tool like LambdaTest. Not only do you get instant access to all major browsers and browser versions, but you also get the facility of running the browser (and version) of your own choice right from your own local machine.

LambdaTest provides instant remote access to the real machine running Internet Explorer browser on real Windows operating systems. Cross browser compatibility tools today are the most preferred choice as they not only are cost-effective in the long run but also frees users from the hassle of upgrading, maintaining, and investing in in-house infrastructure.

So if you are using a macOS and are looking for a way to test your website on internet explorer then LambdaTest is your go-to stop. All you would need is to register for free and start testing your website on different versions of IE. That way, you can skip the hard method of installing any other software in your macOS, as we allow you to test your website on 2000+ real browsers running on machines hosted on the cloud. You can perform parallel testing and test on more than just IE browsers, simultaneously.

You can even execute automated cross browser testing with an online Selenium Grid to eliminate repetitive test scripts.

2. Local Virtual Machines

Virtual machines are the most flexible yet most time and resource intensive way to perform cross browser compatibility check. VM based solutions have been a part of the testing ecosystem for some time now. Virtual machines are the virtual setup on your physical machines to run a different operating system without actually installing the operating system. The user can also install the operating system along with the existing operating system in a straightforward conventional way.

Using virtual machines will not affect your booting time and the additional virtual operating system can be booted only when it is required. Creating Windows Virtual machines over your MacOS devices is an easy way to work, however, it would take up large hard disk space, is not 100% accurate, and you may feel it work a little slow if you are testing heavy web applications.

To test Internet Explorer on the Mac system, the user can install the Windows system “virtually” on his machine. By virtually I mean by making use of any virtual machine software that is compliant with the Mac systems. The most popular virtual machine software on Mac systems is Parallel Desktop.

The parallel desktop is available for the Macintosh system that will help the developer virtualize and emulate the operating system of his choice. The user can also make use of other virtual machine software like Oracle Virtual Box but it totally depends on the user as they all work in the same way.

3. Remote IE and Modern IE

In 2014, to help with cross browser compatibility check on Internet Explorer browsers, Microsoft launched an Azure Remote app named RemoteIE. This was a free service that allows you to run the latest versions of Internet Explorer browser on your system no matter what operating system you are using. And the best part, its lighter than installations of local Virtual Machines.

You get an app that streams a Microsoft Azure hosted IE environment, right to your device, and you can test your website on this two way streaming connection.

This facility was provided by Microsoft itself, seeing to the needs of the developers who needed to test their website on IE and running Mac OS. If you noticed, I used the word “was” in the last line because modern ie and remote ie are the things of the past now.

Since Microsoft itself is no longer interested in the development of Internet Explorer, it has tried hard to deprecate Internet Explorer from all operating systems including Windows. Walking on the same steps, Microsoft has stopped the modern IE and remote IE platform for Internet Explorer to give way and increase the popularity of their most promising browser- Microsoft Edge. Hitting the web address of modern ie now redirects to the Remote Edge page which lets the user test their website on the Microsoft Edge on the platforms that do not currently run Microsoft Edge.

4. Download Virtual Machine Setup Directly From Microsoft

Microsoft is also contributing to this event, even after deprecating modern IE and remote IE. Microsoft provides a simple and convenient method for those who would like to test with Internet Explorer on MacOS or to test with Edge on MacOS by virtual machines.

The user can visit this link and select his choice of browser and operating system along with the virtual machine he would like to test on. Once done, a zip file will be downloaded through which you can run the browser version you selected on your Macintosh.

There are however a couple of things to make notes of.

1. You would need a software for MacOS to unzip the package.
2. The machine you download would expire after 90 days.

5. Microsoft Remote Desktop Application

Microsoft Remote Desktop Application is yet another software developed and presented by Microsoft. Although, the use is not entirely just to test the browser as it was for remote IE and modern IE yes, it can be used as one of the many ways described in this post to test the website on Internet Explorer if the user is running Macintosh system.

Microsoft Remote Desktop Application or MRDA (just made it myself) is an application used to remotely connect to a system running Windows. So, if I am running a Windows system, you can go ahead and connect to my system remotely using this application with proper settings and credentials.

Similarly, taking the above process in the reverse order, if the user is running Macintosh on his system and wants to test his website on Internet Explorer, he can connect to a system running Windows remotely. For this, as you might have already guessed, you need a system running Windows like your friend’s or family member’s. It should also have Microsoft Remote Desktop Application installed on that system to work.

Cloud-Based Remote Desktop Machines

With Microsoft Remote Desktop Applications, you now also have another avenue to get a windows environment, cloud based virtual machines. You can lease a Microsoft Azure based windows cloud machine with pre installed Internet Explorer or Edge browsers, and then access these machines through remote desktop applications. There is Microsoft’s official remote desktop client for MacOS machines as well that you can use to access windows environments with MacOS machines.

Internet Explorer Browser For Mac Free Download

6. IE Tab

IE Tab or Internet Explorer tab is a very popular Google Chrome web extension that lets the user view the web pages as if they are rendered inside the Internet Explorer browser only without using Internet Explorer.

Since Google Chrome is available for all the major operating systems, installing this extension on your Google Chrome browser will quickly let the user test his website on the Internet Explorer, even if the user is having a MacOS.

Developed in Taiwan, IE tab extension is just 815KB in size and currently managed and developed by BlackFish Software. IE tab has been in the top 10 Google Chrome extensions since 2009 with 4+ million users today. Since the size is so less, all that the user needs to do here is go to the web store and search for the IE tab extension. Once the user finds the extension, he needs to add it to the chrome start exploring websites as if they are seen in the Internet Explorer.

7. WineBottler

WineBottler is yet another successful method for running Internet Explorer on the Mac systems.

WineBottler removes the hustle of installing another software like virtual machine software and then installing an OS on the virtual machine and then finally running the Internet Explorer. WineBottler comes with the complete package of using the applications designed for Windows on your Mac systems.

Just download the software file in the Windows format i.e. exe format and run the application through WineBottler. WineBottler will convert the Windows application into the Mac application. Once done, the user can just use the application on his Macintosh like any other application of Mac.

WineBottler also gives the convenience of running the .exe. application directly without any conversion into the Mac supported application. Now, you must be wondering such software must cost you a significant amount of money to purchase. But relax, this software is free of cost. However, if you do appreciate the software then you may go ahead and make a donation through their website.

The user can just download WineBottler and play Windows supported games and work on Windows-based software. But, we will stick to the topic of this post and see how to install Internet Explorer on to the Mac systems using WineBottler. As mentioned, just download the .exe file of Internet Explorer and you are ready to test with Internet Explorer on MacOS for your website.

8. Boot Camp Assistant

Boot Camp comes pre-build for Mac users under the Utilities folder. Boot Camp allows you to install numerous OS in their computer and boot the one that you need as per your preference. Meaning, you can install a Windows machine inside your Mac device. Once you have installed a Windows OS inside your Mac, you can switch between the two operating systems.

However, you would have to restart the device, every time that you wish to boot a new operating system. This could be problematic and time-consuming if you have a complex test suite where you need to test on multiple IE versions and Safari versions interchangeably. Also, since you have to restart the device every time you want to boot a different OS, you can not perform parallel testing.

Another downside is that you only get to test on Windows 10. So if you are looking to test for Internet Explorer on MacOS for Windows 8.1 or below then it isn’t possible with Boot Camp Assistant.

Also note, the Boot Camp Assistant is only available for the below Mac devices:

• iMac Pro
• MacBook introduced in 2015 or later
• Mac Pro introduced in 2013 or later

Devices introduced in 2012 or later:

• MacBook Air
• MacBook Pro
• Mac mini
• iMac

9. Using The In-Built Develop Menu Of Your Safari Browser

Safari offers an interesting way to test Internet Explorer on MacOS by using the in-built Develop menu. It would host your website on IE version 7 and above without any virtualization.

In your Safari menu bar, go to Develop, and then User Agent. You will find a list of browsers for Safari, Internet Explorer, Edge, Chrome, Firefox, and more. This way you can perform cross browser, test on Safari browser itself. Cool right?

Remember though that these browsers are not hosted on virtual machines, and are there to help you get the look and feel of your website. The results may not be as accurate as you may think. Also, if you wish to test the performance of your website on different browsers then Develop menu inside Safari isn’t your best bet.

So, What Would You Use To Test With Internet Explorer On MacOS?

So, is it hard to test Internet Explorer on your Mac running system? I do not think so. We have discussed so many methods through which it is possible. Actually, not only possible but convenient, easy and efficient. There was a time when Apple stopped the use and availability of Internet Explorer on their systems. But, necessity is the mother of invention. The same event led to the invention of so many methods just to open Internet Explorer on Mac systems.

Although the world is moving towards Microsoft Edge, the number of people using Internet Explorer is still significant and cannot be ignored. If you are one of the people who love to work on Mac but needs to test his website on Internet Explorer, then do share with us your favorite way to test with Internet Explorer on MacOS. Happy testing! 🙂

Written by Harish Rajora

I am a computer science engineer. I love to keep growing as the technological world grows. I feel there is no powerful tool than a computer to change the world in any way. Visit Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harishkumarrajora/

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Since most of your working (or even entertainment) time today is spent in your web browser window, it's likely the most important app on your computer. Without a doubt, there are lots of web browsers for Mac, but not all of them were created equal. So you might be wondering what is the best web browser for Mac.

After all, not everyone's needs are the same. You might be striving for speed or safety, or alternative ways of surfing online. And with Microsoft Edge set to appear on Mac shortly, the competition to become the top browser for Mac is getting fierce — but there's no need to try them all.

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The browser comparison below will outline all strengths and weaknesses of all the contenders on the market today to reveal the best browser for Mac you need.

What Makes The Best Web Browser

Depending on how exactly you use your Mac browser, you might require different features and specialties. Generally, there are four broad categories that make people sway one way or another.

Familiarity: Use something regularly for a while and you'll develop muscle memory, which makes it extremely hard to switch to anything else. This is the main reason most people keep using the first web browser they've tried. But it’s important to realize that experimenting with alternative browsers is not hard and might present you with much better options in no time.

Speed: Slow speed might quickly kill even the best web browser for Mac. If you think about it, no one has ever asked for their webpage to take more time to load.

Security: A lucky few might have never been the target of a hack or malware with a potential to disrupt or in some cases destroy a computer. But there's no such thing as being too careful. While some browsers are optimized for ease of use, there are safe browsers too that are secure from the ground up.

Bells and whistles: For some, it's the little things that matter most. Looking for Chromecast support? Configurable shortcuts? Extension libraries? All best internet browsers try to differentiate themselves in various ways to tailor to particular audiences.

The top browser for Mac out of the box: Safari

It could be that the best browser for Mac is the one that comes with every Mac already. Apple's proprietary web browser for Mac, Safari, is preinstalled on all Apple devices and is generally a good choice. No shame here for not bothering to explore alternative browsers at all.

Safari is good because Apple doesn't do things by half measures. Benchmarks suggest that when it comes to Safari vs Firefox, Safari loads HTML twice as fast, and four times as fast for Microsoft's Internet Explorer. Makes sense — no one knows Apple hardware better than Apple, so they have all the trump cards for near-perfect speed optimization. Safari might well be the fastest browser for Mac.

In terms of extras, Safari has a decent support for third-party plugins and integrates perfectly with your iOS and watchOS devices.

What’s great:

• Blazing-fast speed
• Already installed on your Mac

Not so great:

• Lacks Chromecast support and some other plugins

The most popular web browser: Chrome

Chrome is by far the top browser for Mac and other operating systems when it comes to popularity — some reports suggest that 70% of people on the web use it. But does that mean it’s the best web browser for Mac?

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It could be. First of all, Chrome is generally one of the fastest web browsers. Second, it uses Google's proprietary Sandbox security technology, so you're completely safe running all kinds of websites on it. Third, Chrome's extension library is the largest on the market, allowing you to transform the browser into the tool for all your needs.

Even better, when you sign into your Google account on any Chrome browser anywhere, it'll load your bookmarks and logins right away. So if you're constantly using different computers, Chrome is a great choice (just remember to log out if you're using public ones).

When it comes to Safari vs Chrome, Safari wins as the best browser for Mac, whereas Chrome takes the crown if you find yourself jumping between operating systems.

What’s great:

• Fast and secure
• The best third-party support for browser extensions
• Travels well by signing into Chrome from anywhere
• Fully integrated with Chromecast

Not so great:

• Not as fast as Safari

The underdogfox web browser: Mozilla Firefox for Mac

Though it's not as commonly used as Safari or Chrome, Firefox is not without its share of devoted fans. It's been a mainstay in the browser wars for many years now and is maybe the most recognized one of the alternative browsers for people who would rather not support megalithic companies like Apple or Google. So do you want to download Firefox for Mac?

Unfortunately, sometimes the underdog is the underdog for a reason. Firefox is quite a bit slower when it comes to loading webpages. And while you can sign into your Firefox account for bookmarks just like in Google Chrome, the fact that it’s not a standard option on most computers in the way Chrome is makes this feature less useful.

Add to that a busy design that looks at odds with macOS, and when it comes to Safari vs Firefox as the best browser for Mac, Safari is the clear winner.

What’s great:

• Open-source development
• Long-established user base
• Firefox account to sync bookmarks across computers

Not so great:

• Slow by modern web standards
• Busy design

Internet Explorer Browser For Macbook

The 'could be a contender' browser: Opera for Mac

Opera has been around for years, but it's always been the 'also-ran' of the alternative browsers. But things could be different now: Opera today comes with a free VPN, ad-block, and built-in messenger client support right out of the box. The free VPN alone makes this browser worth downloading and checking out.

In the backend, Opera usings the same Blink Engine that powers Chrome, so you can be sure of its speed. Add to that integrated phishing and malware lists and you have a fast and secure browser. Some could argue that given recent Opera innovations it might have surpassed Firefox as the third-best web browser. It also might now be the best new browser for Mac, depending on what you’re looking for.

What’s great:

• Free VPN
• Just as fast as Chrome
• Great default ad and malware blocking

Not so great:

• Less third-party support compared to Chrome
• Low adoption

How to change default browser on Mac

So now that you have so many options to try — explore their websites and download the ones that you like. Just remind yourself that you're not yet fully committed to any single one.

But once you decide which one is your favorite, you need to know how to change default browser on Mac:

1. Click on the Apple menu ➙ System Preferences
2. Navigate to the General tab
3. Find a dropdown menu marked 'Default web browser' and click on it to choose from the browsers you've installed

The top browser for Mac is what you make of it

In the end, it doesn't matter too much which browser is the best — if you like it and feel like it does what you need it to do, then everybody's happy. What matters the most is whether or not you can customize the browser to your needs. That means downloading extensions that make the most of your internet experience.

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Capture video from any browser

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Downie is an app for your Mac that lets you drag and drop videos from any website onto your computer. It works like magic:

1. Copy a link from Vimeo or YouTube or anywhere else
2. Open Downie and hit ⌘ + V to paste the link
3. The download will start automatically

Even for times when you can't find a song anywhere but streaming video, use Downie to simply download the audio file. Brilliant!

Want to edit or format that file? Downie blends seamlessly with Permute, which lets you combine videos, edit them down, or convert the file type:

1. Drag and drop a video onto Permute
2. Choose to work with Audio or Video
3. Use the dropdown to choose the file format to convert to
4. Click Start

Yet another great app to completely unlock your browser is Inboard. Designed to easily capture screenshots from your screen so that you can create collages and moodboards, Inboard lets you cut and paste images from your Mac browser, and even make a Pinterest-style inspiration board from all your captured pictures.

Best of all, Downie, Permute, and Inboard are all available to try absolutely free for seven days when you sign up for Setapp, an app subscription services that gives you over 150 different apps for every possible use case. Now that’s a Mac browser transformed!

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