AOL Explorer is one of the browsers that once hoped to become a leader in this particular software category, but the lack of updates and enhancements has turned it into a simple application that could.

AOL Explorer looks pretty and although it hasn’t been updated in a while, it still remains one of the most attractive browsers on the market.

Of course, it comes with the now popular tabbed interface which isn’t quite impressive anymore, but it sure was at that time. You can thus open multiple pages in the same window, while keeping things organized and easy to access.

AOL Explorer shows thumbnails for every single tab, but it also comes with a dedicated sidebar to let you load the services you like the most with a single click. It’s more like a favorites bar, only that it gives access to favorites, channels, history, feeds, mail and journals.

Security is seriously enhanced with an advanced pop-up blocker which also comes with a menu to keep you up date with the blocked page elements.

Although not quite useful for a user who wants to browse the web quick and easy, AOL Explorer includes some additional fun tools as well, including one that turns a website upside down.

The biggest drawback is definitely the way AOL Explorer makes use of computer resources. During our test, it had a pretty strong negative impact on computer performance, and every single new tab made things even worse.

As a conclusion, AOL Explorer is just one of the apps that had so much potential but missed the chance to become a star. Sad, indeed.