If you just want to have the progman interface, you could install NT 3.51. With the lastest patches at least the latest version of Firefox2 will work. I havn`t tried FF3. With addional work Flash 7 (can`t remember exactly) can be used. NT 3.51 will have much more RAM instead of 3.11. Officially it needs 12 mb, but I`ve heard that 8 are enough to run.
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Browser for Windows 3.11
- Thread starter kb2syd
- Start date
creepingnet
Veteran Member
Here's all the browser's I've used with Windows 3.1x and my opinions on them in a modern environment......
Netscape 2.02 - Utterly worthless, more Javascript errors than you can shake a debugger at!
Netscape 4.08 - Works rather well except on certain websites that make extensive use of Flash and Java. Can have some Text issues with some sites.
MSIE 5.0 - Works okay, but Google links are unclickable, and once again, the bugger of Javascript and Flash becomes a problem.
The best browser I have going on my 486 is Arachne for DOS, if it were not for some games, I would probably drop back to just using MS-DOS on the machine with no Windows whatsoever, since everything can be done in MS-DOS now given all the programs that are out there from LeetIRC, to CD-Roast, to Arachne, to WordPerfect 5.1 (even the old standbys get quite a lot of use).
Netscape 2.02 - Utterly worthless, more Javascript errors than you can shake a debugger at!
Netscape 4.08 - Works rather well except on certain websites that make extensive use of Flash and Java. Can have some Text issues with some sites.
MSIE 5.0 - Works okay, but Google links are unclickable, and once again, the bugger of Javascript and Flash becomes a problem.
The best browser I have going on my 486 is Arachne for DOS, if it were not for some games, I would probably drop back to just using MS-DOS on the machine with no Windows whatsoever, since everything can be done in MS-DOS now given all the programs that are out there from LeetIRC, to CD-Roast, to Arachne, to WordPerfect 5.1 (even the old standbys get quite a lot of use).
framer
Veteran Member
Let me narrow the question, what's the best browser for WFW 3.11 using a 386DX33 with 8megs. I tried 5.01 and after I got installed found a readme.txt file that stated that a 486 was required for ie5.01. It worked but very, very, slow.
Would NS4 work with a 386?
framer
Would NS4 work with a 386?
framer
framer
Veteran Member
To anwser my own question, just the basic ie3 worked. It was installed without any java VM support. There was a text file that recommended that VM not be installed in a 386 class machine. I believe it. I was able to post a message to a vbulletin board I run but it took about 30 minutes to load the pages needed to post a new thread. It did work though. It casscaded nicely and displayed what it did correctly. I used the default style page from vbulletin. I ran well with other static html test pages.
Next up, can I post a message with a 286?
framer
Next up, can I post a message with a 286?
framer
carlsson
Veteran Member
If there is a text browser running on a 286 (DOS mode?), it shouldn't be a problem. I'm posting on several forums with a text browser, some are easier to operate than others. This one (vBulletin) may be the only one I haven't tried to access text only.
evildragon
Veteran Member
My machine in my sig goes online.
EddieDX4
Veteran Member
You've inspired me to get my Canon Navigator 40HD (NEC V30, 640kb, 40mb, 1.44MB, grayscale EGA) online. The thing has a built-in modem, but I don't have a real analog phone line, and I can't remember if the thing has an ISA slot to add a NIC, but I am now on a mission.