After 27 years of service, Microsoft’s oldest browser, Internet Explorer, will be retired on June 15th. People and organizations still depending on the browser’s service had been receiving warnings from the firm. In March, a similar warning was issued.
The Internet Explorer application was initially launched in 1995 as a Windows 95 add-on package. However, it was eventually included in the bundle for free.
One of the causes is that its user base is dwindling. Despite reaching a peak of 95% usage in 2003, the browser was unable to sustain its dominance as users dropped rapidly.
Another factor is the fierce rivalry in the market from competing browsers. Many new browsers joined the market, promising better user interfaces, quicker internet connections, and smoother performance.
According to Mashable, once the desktop software is no longer supported, Microsoft will release a Windows Update that would totally remove Internet Explorer from Windows 10 devices and send users to Edge if they try to use it.
According to media, quoting Mashable, Microsoft Edge program manager Sean Lyndersay indicated that “the future of Internet Explorer on Windows 10 resides in Microsoft Edge.”
“Not only is Microsoft Edge a faster, safer, and more modern browsing experience than Internet Explorer,” he said, “but it also solves a critical concern: compatibility with older, legacy websites and apps.”
Microsoft stopped developing new browser features in 2016, and this might be the first time the company decides to phase down Internet Explorer. After the new break, netizens were both nostalgic and crazy.
