Running Internet Explorer on my Mac

[taldo]

Kind of a weird question, but i'm tired of online searches.

My university has decided to videotape all the lectures that later on we could watch them at home. Sounds like a good idea doesn't it..?

Well, it is a good idea, but the execution is lame.

For some reason only known to them, they have decided to use a streaming website that would only support Internet Explorer browser.

Anyone knows how to bypass this horrid limitation and stream the lessons without installing Parallels or any other pro-software..?

I've tried changing the User Agent under Develop in the Safari but that didn't work, I've also installed WinOnX and that didn't work also (very lousy software by the way...!!!) .

Any other ideas....??

 

[MisterMe]

Kind of a weird question, but i'm tired of online searches.

My university has decided to videotape all the lectures that later on we could watch them at home. Sounds like a good idea doesn't it..?

Well, it is a good idea, but the execution is lame.

For some reason only known to them, they have decided to use a streaming website that would only support Internet Explorer browser.

Anyone knows how to bypass this horrid limitation and stream the lessons without installing Parallels or any other pro-software..?

I've tried changing the User Agent under Develop in the Safari but that didn't work, I've also installed WinOnX and that didn't work also (very lousy software by the way...!!!) .

Any other ideas....??

If those videos are accessible outside your university's LAN, then it would be helpful to post a link. That way, a member of this forum may be able to find a way to get the videos to play without Internet Explorer.

Next, I know that the problem that you describe exists because I have dealt with it. For several years, the web-based interface to my firm's database required IE for certain data entries. Firefox, Safari, and other browsers kinda sorta worked mostly, but only IE worked well. This was primarily to boneheaded coding rather than specific intent to limit the database to IE access. The database is now fully accessible using virtually any browser. But I digress.

There is still a cohort of IT professionals having the mindset that if it works with Windows, then it works. This mindset extends to IE. Having said all that, we must still eliminate other potential causes for your problem:

• Did your university explicit inform students and professors that your videos can be only exclusively in IE?
• Have your tried using Firefox, Opera, Chrome, or another browser to access to site?
• What is the format of the videos? Are they WMV? If so, then install Flip4Mac?

 

[maflynn]

If you need internet explorer then the only option I see is to run windows in a virtualized environment, such as Vmware Fusion or parallels.

 

[fhall1]

Crossover used to be able to run older versions of IE - I'm thinking IE7 maybe. I haven't looked at Crossover in a while (probably version 10) and they're up to version 13 now...maybe it supports later versions of IE now - they used to have a list of compatible apps on their site.

 

[northernmunky]

It sounds likely that they have used wmf files... the cardinal sin of all web design!

Try Flip4Mac, otherwise your only alternative may just be parallels, but at least you have Coherence mode to get rid of the nasty Fisher Price look:

 

[Fuchal]

Microsoft provides free virtual machines running any version of IE for free here: http://modern.ie/en-us/virtualization-tools#downloads

Just download the VirtualBox version (also free)

 

[taldo]

If those videos are accessible outside your university's LAN, then it would be helpful to post a link. That way, a member of this forum may be able to find a way to get the videos to play without Internet Explorer.

Next, I know that the problem that you describe exists because I have dealt with it. For several years, the web-based interface to my firm's database required IE for certain data entries. Firefox, Safari, and other browsers kinda sorta worked mostly, but only IE worked well. This was primarily to boneheaded coding rather than specific intent to limit the database to IE access. The database is now fully accessible using virtually any browser. But I digress.

There is still a cohort of IT professionals having the mindset that if it works with Windows, then it works. This mindset extends to IE. Having said all that, we must still eliminate other potential causes for your problem:

• Did your university explicit inform students and professors that your videos can be only exclusively in IE?
• Have your tried using Firefox, Opera, Chrome, or another browser to access to site?
• What is the format of the videos? Are they WMV? If so, then install Flip4Mac?

I tried using other browsers, but they all couldn't run the videos. Also, i found a system requirements page on the streaming website that specifically says that IE is the only browser supported. I don't think that my university did it on purpose or anything, they just didn't think about that stupid requirement issue.

I have no idea what format the files are, i don't have access to them at all, it's all saved on the website and streamed to users through a player (which of course doesn't work at all..). I have flip4mac and it doesn't work...

About other software,
I have a 256 gb hardrive, so any big software that includes a partition or 20 gb space for windows is a lot for me. i'm not too familiar with Parallels, does it include partitioning or a 20 gb+ install...??

Basically, i need the lightest software there is that is capable of running an IE without the trouble of installing the Windows environment that comes with it and will eat up a lot of free space that i would use for many different purposes...