Internet Explorer was extending the standard to the point of incompatibility. That was a goal and we know because of the trial:
"kill HTML by extending it"
(As recalled by Steven McGeady Intel VP told by Paul Maritz Microsoft VP)
So Internet Explorer was quite the opposite of today’s Safari: Microsoft was trying to be faster than Netscape, and to put forward new non-standard specifications faster than Netscape could or would add them. AJAX for example started as an ActiveX component, a technology that tied most components to Windows.
If we draw parallels, it looks more like what Google is (accused frequently of) doing than what Apple is doing (releasing yearly, adding standards after others)
Of course when Microsoft drove Netscape to bankruptcy, then they slowed improving their monopolistic browser, as only Windows was important to protect for them.
"kill HTML by extending it"
(As recalled by Steven McGeady Intel VP told by Paul Maritz Microsoft VP)
So Internet Explorer was quite the opposite of today’s Safari: Microsoft was trying to be faster than Netscape, and to put forward new non-standard specifications faster than Netscape could or would add them. AJAX for example started as an ActiveX component, a technology that tied most components to Windows.
If we draw parallels, it looks more like what Google is (accused frequently of) doing than what Apple is doing (releasing yearly, adding standards after others)
Of course when Microsoft drove Netscape to bankruptcy, then they slowed improving their monopolistic browser, as only Windows was important to protect for them.