what microsoft applications require Internet Explorer rather than
another browser to be fully functional.  If a different browswer is
used, what functions are lost?

Hello mike,

I have listed below all of the Microsoft products that have Internet
Explorer as a system requirement.

Microsoft software requiring Internet Explorer is mostly a black and
white situation-- If you install the required version of Internet
Explorer, the program will work, if not, you're out of luck completely
and the program that requires it won't function at all.

Although there are a couple products which only lose some minor
functionality if a system does not have the proper version of Internet
Explorer. When that is the case, I make note of it below. Otherwise,
if there is no comment, the program solely depends on Internet
Explorer, and will not function without it, no matter what browser you
have installed.


Access version 2002
http://www.microsoft.com/catalog/display.asp?site=10864&subid=22&pg=3

BizTalk® Server 2002 
http://www.microsoft.com/catalog/display.asp?site=11285&subid=22&pg=3

Content Management Server 2002 
http://www.microsoft.com/catalog/display.asp?site=11453&subid=22&pg=3

Digital Image Pro 9 
http://www.microsoft.com/catalog/display.asp?site=11586&subid=22&pg=3

Digital Image Suite 9 
http://www.microsoft.com/catalog/display.asp?site=11587&subid=22&pg=3

Excel version 2002 
(Only requires IE 4.1 if you are using NT 4.0)
http://www.microsoft.com/catalog/display.asp?site=10876&subid=22&pg=3

FrontPage version 2002 
(Only requires IE 4.01 if you are using NT 4.0)
http://www.microsoft.com/catalog/display.asp?site=10875&subid=22&pg=3

Greetings 
http://www.microsoft.com/catalog/display.asp?site=11049&subid=22&pg=3

Host Integration Server 2000
http://www.microsoft.com/catalog/display.asp?site=10419&subid=22&pg=3

IntelliMouse Software
http://www.microsoft.com/catalog/display.asp?site=304&subid=22&pg=3
"Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01 with Service Pack 2 or later to view
Help files."

IntelliMouse Explorer 
http://www.microsoft.com/catalog/display.asp?site=11140&subid=22&pg=3
"Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01 with Service Pack 2 or later to view
Help files."

IntelliMouse® Optical 
http://www.microsoft.com/catalog/display.asp?site=11139&subid=22&pg=3

Microsoft Enterprise Learning Library 2 
http://www.microsoft.com/catalog/display.asp?site=11493&subid=22&pg=3

Producer for PowerPoint® 2002 
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=260264

Project 2002 
http://www.microsoft.com/catalog/display.asp?site=11121&subid=22&pg=3

Project Professional 2002 
http://www.microsoft.com/catalog/display.asp?site=11199&subid=22&pg=3

Project Server 2002
http://www.microsoft.com/catalog/display.asp?site=11033&subid=22&pg=3

Picture It!® Photo Premium 9 
http://www.microsoft.com/catalog/display.asp?site=11585&subid=22&pg=3

Publisher Deluxe with Photo Editing version 2002 
http://www.microsoft.com/catalog/display.asp?site=11055&subid=22&pg=3

Reader 2.0 for Windows-based PCs and laptops 
http://www.microsoft.com/catalog/display.asp?site=11171&subid=22&pg=3

SharePoint Portal Server 
http://www.microsoft.com/catalog/display.asp?site=10858&subid=22&pg=3

SQL Server 2000 
http://www.microsoft.com/catalog/display.asp?site=10145&subid=22&pg=3
"Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 is required for all installations of
Microsoft SQL Server 2000, except for the Connectivity Only option,
which requires Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01 with Service Pack 2.
Internet Explorer is required for Microsoft Management Console (MMC)
and HTML Help. A minimal install is sufficient, and Internet Explorer
does not need to be your default browser."

Windows Services for UNIX 3.0
http://www.microsoft.com/catalog/display.asp?site=11269&subid=22&pg=3
"Internet Explorer version 5 or later must be installed on the
computer prior to installing Windows Services for UNIX."

Windows XP Embedded 
http://www.microsoft.com/catalog/display.asp?site=11077&subid=22&pg=3

Works 7.0
http://www.microsoft.com/catalog/display.asp?site=11236&subid=22&pg=3


I hope this satisfies your question. Please let me know if you have
any concerns before you rate this answer.

Thanks for using Google Answers!


Search Strategy:

I browsed through each and every product in the Microsoft catalogue
(http://www.microsoft.com/catalog/), checking to see if Internet
Explorer was required.

Thank you so much for the 5-star rating, and incredibly generous tip!!