It has been 25 years since Microsoft’s Internet Explorer web browser came on the scene, and soon it will leave the technological stage, ending an era.
“With Microsoft Edge capable of assuming this responsibility and more, the Internet Explorer 11 desktop application will be retired and go out of support on June 15, 2022, for certain versions of Windows 10,” the company announced this week.
According to Microsoft, some functionality will remain within its Edge browser with an “Internet Explorer mode.”
“Not only is Microsoft Edge a faster, more secure, and more modern browsing experience than Internet Explorer, but it is also able to address a key concern: compatibility for older, legacy websites and applications,” the statement said.
Coming with the various incarnations of Windows since its debut 1995, the web browser rose to a 95% share of the market by 2000, overtaking Netscape Navigator’s 90% position in 1995 as the number one browser on the market, according to The Guardian.
Like a Phoenix rising from the ashes, the developers that created Navigator reformed into what is now Mozilla’s Firefox, proving a much more evenly matched opponent for the tech giant.
Apple’s Safari and Google’s Chrome browsers were also fiercely fighting for a share of the market with constant updates which began to show cracks and aging in IE’s armor, according to the report.
Explorer has always had issues with its speed and propensity for bugs, giving its users headaches, according to NPR.
When Microsoft’s new Edge browser debuted in 2015, the company has slowly distanced itself from its original creation, NPR reported.
The Microsoft 365 subscription bundle of applications will finally end its compatibility with IE in August with several of the features like videoconferencing and “Microsoft Teams” expiring last fall.
In today’s market, Chrome holds sway with 64% of the market with Safari at under 19%, Firefox at 3.5%, and Edge at only 3.39%, according to the Statcounter.com.
For those that are still using IE, the company recommends transitioning to Edge before the June 15, 2022 end date.
Users can migrate passwords, favorites, and other browsing data to the new browser “in a few clicks,” according to the company.
The IE “mode” within Edge is set to be supported through 2029, according to the company.
Source: Newmax
