Recommended Posts

Hey Guys,

So it looks Wine development on making IE run properly on Mac OS X has pretty much stalled. I was wondering if anybody else has found any good methods for getting IE running natively on OS X?

I currently have to run a Windows 7 VM on my MacBook Pro at work JUST to access our CRM, and it's quite messy.

Following on from this request, does anybody know of any ways to have Dynamics CRM load properly on a Mac Web Browser (Firefox, Chrome, Safari?).

Thanks

Chris

Link to comment
https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1127078-running-ie-on-the-mac/
Share on other sites

http://www.browserstack.com not free and pricing sucks.

Wow that's rather expensive just to use Internet Explorer. Good idea, but still.....

I'm sure it can be done, but internet explorer appears to be the last program on people's minds at the moment. I mean they got Office 2010 working in wine, but can't get Internet Explorer working :s

I currently have to run a Windows 7 VM on my MacBook Pro at work JUST to access our CRM, and it's quite messy.

It's probably a lot cleaner than any other solution. Things like Wine and others spread all kinds of crap throughout your OS X installation. From my experience it's by far the best to just run Windows as a guest PC and keep everything neatly contained.

Personally I have no issues with running Windows 8 as a guest on my iMac. But then again I have a 3,4 GHz Core i7 and 16 GB of memory at my disposal. :p

Wow that's rather expensive just to use Internet Explorer. Good idea, but still.....

I'm sure it can be done, but internet explorer appears to be the last program on people's minds at the moment. I mean they got Office 2010 working in wine, but can't get Internet Explorer working :s

what you get for your money is pretty sweet, but it's just one of those things you don't really want to pay for, especially at a monthly fee and it's not cheap either..

I gave up trying to run IE on a mac and now use an old laptop running windows 7 with a VM to XP, and i have every possible browser combination on them.

http://www.browserstack.com not free and pricing sucks.

Good idea, this led me to load up a Server 2008 R2 box on one of our HyperV Servers and setup RemoteApp. No way am I configuring a tunnel back to our network :D.

Bugger :/ You are right though Internet Explorer development on wine has stalled. Nobody seems to care anymore :(

I'm sure it can be done, but internet explorer appears to be the last program on people's minds at the moment. I mean they got Office 2010 working in wine, but can't get Internet Explorer working

Yeah exactly; I know IE is an awful awful browser compared to Webkit / Gecko browsers, but still, MS crap needs MS crap.

It's probably a lot cleaner than any other solution. Things like Wine and others spread all kinds of crap throughout your OS X installation. From my experience it's by far the best to just run Windows as a guest PC and keep everything neatly contained.

Personally I have no issues with running Windows 8 as a guest on my iMac. But then again I have a 3,4 GHz Core i7 and 16 GB of memory at my disposal. :p

We'll I'm running this on a Retina Book with 8GB, runs more than fast enough but sometimes the Integration isn't very clean. (Copy pasta doesn't work sometimes).

what you get for your money is pretty sweet, but it's just one of those things you don't really want to pay for, especially at a monthly fee and it's not cheap either..

I gave up trying to run IE on a mac and now use an old laptop running windows 7 with a VM to XP, and i have every possible browser combination on them.

I'd do something similar if this was Development work, but simply to run a SINGLE WebApp, it's not worth it.

Parallels with a Windows 7/8 x86 installation, it'll also install a plugin to Safari, so a IE button appears next to the Cloud tabs button, so you can easily view pages in IE, without starting it manually.

Also you can run the program's externally, so you don't need to manage it within the VM window.

Parallels with a Windows 7/8 x86 installation, it'll also install a plugin to Safari, so a IE button appears next to the Cloud tabs button, so you can easily view pages in IE, without starting it manually.

Also you can run the program's externally, so you don't need to manage it within the VM window.

Correct, but this still brings me to the same issue I have right now, which is running an entire OS to accomplish one task.

In case anyone is not aware Microsoft provides images for testing IE in virtual machine for free

http://www.microsoft...s.aspx?id=11575

Yep, but these are for Development, not for Production. The licences will not extend into a Business Environment and I'd still have the same issue I originally had.

Said by +CPressland:

"Yeah exactly; I know IE is an awful awful browser compared to Webkit / Gecko browsers, but still, MS crap needs MS crap."

I beg to differ on that opinion, but then again, just like a**holes, everyone has one!! ;)

Sure must suck to have that expensive a** Mac and can't use something that the vast majority of the rest of the world has installed by default?

I've debated a few times on getting a Mac, but then I would be in almost the same boat you're in now, which is why I even clicked the link to this topic and why I haven't gotten a Mac.

Sorry, no help!! :(

Correct, but this still brings me to the same issue I have right now, which is running an entire OS to accomplish one task

Weird, I never had any copy/paste issues between my OS X host and VMware Fusion guest PC... :/

One way or another you'll gonna have to need Windows. Either virtualized, native, secondary computer, Remote Desktop or otherwise... Since Internet Explorer isn't a native OS X app you're never going to find a 100% "clean" solution.

Said by +CPressland:

"Yeah exactly; I know IE is an awful awful browser compared to Webkit / Gecko browsers, but still, MS crap needs MS crap."

I beg to differ on that opinion, but then again, just like a**holes, everyone has one!! ;)

Sure must suck to have that expensive a** Mac and can't use something that the vast majority of the rest of the world has installed by default?

I've debated a few times on getting a Mac, but then I would be in almost the same boat you're in now, which is why I even clicked the link to this topic and why I haven't gotten a Mac.

Sorry, no help!! :(

Just to reiterate, I'm using IE9 no problem right now inside a VM, I'd just like to lower the load.

Weird, I never had any copy/paste issues between my OS X host and VMware Fusion guest PC... :/

One way or another you'll gonna have to need Windows. Either virtualized, native, secondary computer, Remote Desktop or otherwise... Since Internet Explorer isn't a native OS X app you're never going to find a 100% "clean" solution.

Like I said, the solution was to use one of my LAB Servers to run a Hyper-V Server 2008 R2 VM with IE9 setup as a Remote App.

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Posts

    • Creative Sound Blaster AE-X PCIe review: your headphones will love it by Steven Parker If you have been reading Neowin for any length of time, you may remember that I reviewed the Sound Blaster Audigy FX Pro back in April. I found it to be an excellent budget sound card, even though it lacked support for formats such as DTS over the included SPDIF port. Anyway, Creative reached out to me again asking if I was interested in reviewing the Sound Blaster AE-X. It is a card mainly targeted at headphone wearers, which I'll get into a bit later. Before we get underway, here is a disclaimer: Creative Labs provided a free sample without any review pre-approval. Here are the full specs of it: Creative Sound Blaster AE-X Dimensions: 179 x 126 x 18 mm Weight: 263g / 9.28 oz Platform: PCI-e DAC: ESS ES9039Q2M Connectivity Options Side: Rear: 1 x HD Audio Front Panel Connector, 1 x ⅛“ Headphone port, 1 x RCA Line-out (Left) port, 1 x RCA Line-out (Right) port, 1 x Coaxial SPDIF-out port, 1 x ⅛“ Mic in/Line-in port, 1 x TOSLINK SPDIF-in port Surround: No DNR / SNR: THD+N: 0.0001% Dynamic Range 130 dB Recording Resolution: PCM up to 32-bit / 192kHz (Stereo) Direct Mode: Line Out (Stereo): PCM up to 32-bit  384 kHz Coaxial SPDIF Out: PCM up to 24-bit 192.0 kHz Headphone Amp: PCM up to 32-bit / 384kHz (Stereo) Native DSD: DSD64, DSD128, DSD256 Output Impedance: 1Ω, Supported Headphone Impedance: 8–600Ω, IEM: 0.5Vrms, Low: 1.5Vrms, Mid: 3Vrms, High: 6Vrms, Maximum output power: 350mW @ 32Ω (High), Maximum output voltage: 6Vrms (High) Front Panel Headphone Amp: PCM up to 32-bit / 192kHz (Stereo) Native DSD: DSD64, DSD128 Output Impedance: 10Ω, Supported Headphone Impedance: 32–300Ω, Maximum output power: 40mW @ 32Ω, Maximum output voltage: 1.9Vrms ASIO: ASIO 2.3 Total Harmonic Distortion: THD+N: 0.0006% Dynamic Range: 114 dB Scout Mode: Yes EMI shielding: No (but it passed all the FCC emission tests) Operating temperature: 0–45°C Input Power: 12V⎓0.5A Warranty: 1 Year (MSRP) Price: $179.99 / £169.99 The Sound Blaster AE-X was announced at the end of May, and it becomes clear that it is mainly for headphone wearers. I should also note that the card does not support DDL/DTS encoding technology, but it is said to support decoding through the coaxial SPDIF port. I was able to test this working with the classic Windows Sound properties, but I could not get a DTS (decode) signal through my Logitech Z906, it defaulted to 3D sound whenever I played DTS content through Plex or Emby. In addition, this card only supports two channels (stereo) over the speakers. The surround support is limited to the Headphone Amp, so before I get underway, what we have here is a card mostly intended for headphone use, especially with its SPDIF In (Toslink) port where you could connect another device like a console. So what about the highlights of this card? The AE-X is powered by the ESS SABRE DAC (ES9039Q2M), which is capable of a 130 dB dynamic range. In addition, it supports 32-bit/384 kHz playback for deeper detail and clarity. The headphone amplifier delivers up to 350 mW @ 32Ω, which admittedly far surpasses standard onboard audio, offering support for studio-grade headphones. DSD256 and ASIO 2.3 are also supported. What doesn't it have? No support for What-U-Hear, Super X-Fi, or the SmartComms Kit No EMI shielding, but it passed all the FCC emission tests (from the FAQ) I also want to make it clear that I am no audiophile. For me, it's purely subjective and it should just "work" out of the box. First impressions As I said in the introduction, I was a bit sad to see that the AE-X only supports stereo output, meaning it would not be on par with my ALC1220 over my speakers, as I mentioned it seems like this card is marketed toward headphone users. Since I am not an avid gamer that would rule me out as a potential customer, but I can still test its capabilities! The card arrived in a nice-looking box, as shown above. It's quite a bit larger than the Audify FX Pro that I reviewed back in April, and at first I thought the covering meant that it was EMI shielded, but it isn't as mentioned above in the highlights section. What's in the box: 1 x Sound Blaster AE-X PCIe card 1 x 3.5 mm CTIA TRRS to Dual TRS Headset Splitter Cable 1 x Quick Start Guide Aside from the Quick Start Guide, which someone at my age (I guess) needs a magnifying glass to read thanks to the tiny fonts, Creative Labs also has the manual online, which first requires you to prove that you're human in order to access it (so I can't direct link it). Anyway, the box is mostly made up of cardboard, and the only plastic in it is the anti-static bag for the card itself. Design Top Bottom The card itself looks pretty cool and actually wouldn't look out of place in an all-white build. There's only one connector, and for some reason it is awkwardly placed on the side (front-facing) that is for the front panel audio connector, which will let you use the headphones through the front PC audio jack. Since the front panel Headphone Amp has fewer capabilities than the rear headphone port, I decided not to use it. Rear of card PCI-e interface The rear of the card is completely open and is normally where you would find the front panel connector. The PCIe interface side is completely covered, which initially made me think it was EMI shielded. I/O panel Side (front-facing) with Front panel connector On the outer rear bracket side we have the TOSLINK SPDIF in, Coaxial SPDIF out, RCA line out (Right), RCA line out (Left), Headphone out, and Mic/Line in ports. On the front facing portion of the card itself is the F-panel connector. Usage Test System Our test system consists of the following: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D Gigabyte X870E AORUS MASTER (BIOS F12) Corsair RM1000x (2024) Thermal Grizzly Kyronaut (33x33x0,2mm) 2x 32GB Kingston Fury Beast RGB DDR5 6000MT/s CL36-38-38-80 T-Force Z540 2TB (PCIe Gen5) NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Founders Edition (NVIDIA) Creative Sound Blaster AE-X Windows 11 25H2 Pro I installed the card into the Gigabyte X870E AORUS MASTER which includes the RealTek ALC1220 onboard audio. For our subjective listening tests, I used the Coaxial SPDIF port to my Logitech Z906 speakers. For headphone tests I used the OneOdio Studio Max 2 Wireless DJ Headphones that I reviewed last month. After installing the audio driver, I installed Creative Nexus, which is a relatively new app designed for the latest Sound Blaster cards. Then I discovered the AE-X needed both a driver update from 1.00.15.0001 to 1.01.09.000 and a firmware update from 1.00.06.0000 to 1.00.06.0002, then I was set to go. It should be noted that the card did not work without the driver (not Plug and Play). As you can see above, you can manage the firmware, driver, and inputs via Advanced Settings on the Device tab. By default Nexus enabled "Direct Mode". Upon clicking on Acoustic Engine, the Equalizer can be enabled and set to four different presets, which are: Gaming Music Movies Footsteps Enhancer There's also a dedicated Scout Mode for gamers. I mainly used Tidal and Spotify in the past week to listen to some of my Liked Songs (which now total over 700) in Shuffle mode; there were no pops or interference that I could hear. I also found a 5.1 Surround Music playlist on Tidal that sounded really great over Studio Max 2 headphones. When I reviewed the Audigy FX Pro, I went out and purchased a Logitech Z906 set second-hand for €100 specifically to use with the card, but in this instance all I could get on the AE-X was the 3D output of surround sound through Coaxial SPDIF and although it still sounded great, it isn't quite as good as DTS Interactive via my onboard Realtek ALC1220. Conclusion So what have I learned? The AE-X lacks multi-channel support for 5.1/7.1 setups and drops support for modern surround technologies like Dolby or DTS, functioning strictly as a stereo output device. So to really benefit, you will need Studio-grade headphones to "hear" the benefits of this card. With that being said, I can imagine it will appeal to gamers who are switching between console and PC. By utilizing the SPDIF in port, you could just plug your headphones into the AE-X (front or rear port) and then switch between PC and Console without having to move the headphones to a different port. As I said in the Sound Blaster Audigy review, the EQ in the Creative Nexus app offers safe presets, which allows a user to further tweak the lows, mids, and highs for a personal listening experience. Of course it all depends on the headphones you hook up to it. Speaking of headphones, I kind of wish I had higher-quality Studio-grade headphones to really test this card with; I'm not usually wearing headphones in my day to day duties. The only time I will wear them is if I want to listen to music very late at night and I don't want to disturb my neighbors, so my rating (verdict) is based on this fact. Someone with a PC/Console setup and wears headphone religiously to game, and consume media will benefit much more than I from the high-quality Headphone Amps that are included in the AE-X. Once again, I do feel like Creative could have gone the extra mile to support the S/PDIF port a bit more. Why include it if you're not supporting the main popular digital formats? It seems like the decision was more of a legacy-based one, offering uncompressed 2-channel PCM audio, for users with high-fidelity audio systems and external DACs. Maybe I will be lucky enough to review a card that truly includes all these features in the future. I am sure readers with far more knowledge on audio systems than me will correct me in the comments below. I'll just say I am happy to learn what I don't know! Where to buy The Sound Blaster AE-X is available to purchase now in preorder for $179.99 on the U.S. Creative website, or for £169.99 on the Creative UK website and will start shipping to customers from June 25.
    • $80 or 90%, anything else would be financial suicide one way or another.
    • Or... just use Bitwarden. Free, and has on-prem option as well. Works both on desktop and mobile, wherever you are. The age of local password files is over.
    • Thanks
    • I actually got to use one of those so called "backup codes" once. It was for a customer, I choose the backup code option, and by the grace of god, they actually hade them printed out. Imagine my surprise, when after using the backup code, Google then told use we had to enter a code they just sent to the gmail address we currently did not have access to. I was not amused, Google backup codes should be the end all get out of jail free card, because you had to have access to the account to even get them.
  • Recent Achievements

    • Week One Done
      Supreme Spray LV earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • One Month Later
      Genuinetonerink- Dubai earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Week One Done
      Genuinetonerink- Dubai earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • One Year In
      hhgygy earned a badge
      One Year In
    • Week One Done
      AMV earned a badge
      Week One Done
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      513
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      164
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      88
    4. 4
      Steven P.
      74
    5. 5
      Michael Scrip
      73
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!