Don...I was comparing the "MSXML2.XMLHTTP" method of capturing web information via assigning the source code to a variable to the method that actually opens IE

Set ie = CreateObject("InternetExplorer.Application")

With ie
.Visible = True
.Navigate "http://www.your_url"
.Top = 50
.Left = 530
.Height = 400
.Width = 400

' Loop until the page is fully loaded
Do Until Not ie.Busy And ie.ReadyState = 4
DoEvents
Loop

The former method is much faster then the latter. I haven't used the web query approach so I did not comment on it. Here is a link to an earlier post in this NG providing a bit more detail around the "MSXML2.XMLHTTP" method.

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/microsoft.public.excel.programming/oitbso|sort:date/microsoft.public.excel.programming/pJryKM1aCh4/VBbkT8YCUdoJ

....Ron