Internet Explorer 4 vs Internet Explorer 6

[jamesp33]

I have Windows 98 and I have Internet Explorer 4.01 and I can visit google but with Internet explorer 6.0 I can't do that. Why? And don't reply with a lecture not to use Windows 98 on the internet.

 

[13thmonkey]

you know the answer... get a decent browser, there's a reason that they are deprecating older versions.

 

[jamesp33]

I asked what was better, Not to get a response with "Get a better browser" I do, I just wanna know what's better. Is that too much to ask?

 

[icehowler]

There is a certificate issue (https) on IE 6 SP1. That is why it is not working. You could try update it to SP3. Not sure if this link helps you https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=36545

The following link shows supported TSL/SSL by browser:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:TLS/SSL_support_history_of_web_browsers

 

[13thmonkey]

I have Windows 98 and I have Internet Explorer 4.01 and I can visit google but with Internet explorer 6.0 I can't do that. Why? And don't reply with a lecture not to use Windows 98 on the internet.

I asked what was better, Not to get a response with "Get a better browser" I do, I just wanna know what's better. Is that too much to ask?

You very specifically asked why, not 'what is better' I would expect that the vague answer is that the technology used in ie4 is not blocked by google where ie6 is, probably flash.

As to what is better, it's a pointless question as they are both bad. However the one that doesn't work is worse from a 'working' point of view, however it might actually be better from a security point of view if you can't use it.

As to the 'is it too much to ask' actually yes it probably is, there will have been papers written in the past on the security and performance issues with ie4 and ie6, and they would need to be revised to bring them up to the modern internet, no-one is going to do that.

Why are those the only choices?

 

[BFG-9000]

The answer why is because Google blacklisted it after a hack in 2010 even though Microsoft continued to support and patch it until 2014. Presumably anybody using a no-longer-supported older iE knows it's not secure anyway so those weren't.

iE4 often doesn't render the modern web correctly, but the plus is it also doesn't run much of the javascript that infests it.
I'd suggest a text-only browser like Lynx because it's fastest, but Firefox 2.0.0.20 also works as-is. If you install KernelEx 4.5.2 then Firefox 10.0.12esr from 2013 is the newest that will work in 98.

Even on XP, note that a processor without SSE2 will not run Firefox newer than v48.02 or Chrome after v34 or Flash after 11.1.102.62 (March 5, 2012). In addition WebGL requires newer hardware and drivers to run so much of the web will remain forever inaccessible to older browsers and hardware. If you just need to look something up though, 98 still works fine.

 

[jamesp33]

I have KernelEx and will only use FireFox. I just wanted to know what was better of the 2 IE versions I put in the title. Thanks for answering my question.

 

[BFG-9000]

I personally have left iE 5.5 on all of my 9x machines since support ended in 2005. It was noticeably faster than 6.0 though I only ended up ever using it for WindowsUpdate Catalog which back then didn't support other browsers than iE. I also preferred it over iE4 as it didn't install the crash-prone Active Desktop.

 

[ragnar-gd]

I'd still update the browser to the latest version - with you, it is IE 6.x - as there is some software that won't run without.
Regarding the browser, ALL browsers you can install are unsafe, so security-wise it's just a question of risk.
Many pages won't accept old browsers, as they don't provide a secure version of SSL (read "https"), that is, at least TLS 1.0
On W9x, the newest browser is neither firefox nor IE nor chrome, but Opera 10.63, from 10/10/2010
You might need a newer version of the MSIMG32.DLL, though, which you can get from Microsoft directly, i think. If not, PM me.
You can still get that version from i.e. on Toms Guide: http://downloads.tomsguide.com/Opera,0301-24290-18651.html
It is not only the newest, but also the most capable, fastest, least subject to malware, and doesn't requre any add-ons like kernerl-ex. But that's just my very personal opinion, i don't claim to be the internet-wise-guy.
Cheers,
Ragnar G.D.