Special Edition Using Windows 95 with Internet Explorer 4.0

Restricting ActiveX Controls

The single most controversial feature of Internet Explorer 4.0 is its support for ActiveX controls. ActiveX technology, an extension of what was known in previous versions of Windows as Object Linking and Embedding (OLE), commonly refers to component software used across networks, including the Internet. Internet Explorer 4.0 uses ActiveX components in the browser window to display content that ordinary HTML can't handle, such as stock tickers, cascading menus, or Adobe Acrobat documents. An ActiveX chart control, for example, can take a few bits of data from a distant server and draw a chart at the speed of the local PC, instead of forcing you to wait while downloading a huge image file. The Microsoft Investor page ...