WebTOP 5.0

This is the old, VRML version of WebTOP, which has nineteen modules. WebTOP 5.0 requires the use of the Internet Explorer (IE) web browser; consequently, it runs only on Windows machines. It also requires: (a) the installation of the Blaxxun Contact plug-in to IE and (b) that the user’s computer is running the Microsoft version of Java, i.e. that it uses the Microsoft Virtual Machine (VM).

As part of Sun’s successful lawsuit against Microsoft regarding Java, Microsoft is no longer allowed to distribute the Microsoft VM. In addition, the Microsoft VM is no longer be supported at all as of January 2008, which means that the VM is no longer guaranteed to function properly with current versions of Windows operating systems and versions of IE. As a result, we strongly recommend the use of WebTOP 6.0, instead of WebTOP 5.0.

One possible exception to this recommendation is the case of a user who has been using WebTOP 5.0 already, and has a computer that is set up to do so. Since WebTOP 6.0 does not include all the modules of WebTOP 5.0, such a user might want to stay with the latter, if he uses modules not in WebTOP 6.0. The instructions for setting up a computer to use WebTOP 5.0 are still available from the Instructions page on webtop.msstate.edu.