Microsoft has announced that its pioneer internet browser – Internet Explorer – will stop working on certain devices from June 15, 2022. The browser would then be replaced permanently with Microsoft Edge.
“Today, we are at the next stage of that journey: we are announcing that the future of Internet Explorer on Windows 10 is in Microsoft Edge,” Microsoft said.
The initial version of Internet Explorer, which is now more than 25 years old, was launched by Microsoft in August 1995. It remained the dominant internet browser for many years before it was replaced by the likes of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, etc.
Not long after, users started boycotting Explorer due to its slow speed, compared to other browsers. Eventually, even Microsoft lost interest in it as it launched Edge, which is a more modern browser.
Microsoft earlier announced that its 365 services will stop supporting Internet Explorer.
“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 firm noted.
Microsoft further explained that:
“With Microsoft Edge, we provide a path to the web’s future while still respecting the web’s past. The change was necessary, but we didn’t want to leave reliable, still-functioning websites and applications behind.”
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Explorer has gradually lost its prominence as rival browsers like Google Chrome and Apple inc. Safari, have won audiences over.
In a survey done in April by web analytics firm Statcounter, Internet Explorer had less than 2 percent of the global browser market for desktop computers.
The analysis concludes that Chrome had more than 65 percent of that market, ahead of Safari – with roughly 10 percent. Microsoft Edge had 8 percent.