Source: Times Now News
This week, Microsoft Corp made the announcement of the Internet Explorer’s retirement, after about 27 years of service. The tech giant stated that it would end mainstream support for its ageing browser, which would ultimately retire in peace. Notably, the age old browser was released in the year 1995 in the form of an add-on package for Windows 95. At the time, the internet browser was given for free as part of this package from Microsoft.
According to the notification from the company, the 27-year-old Internet Explorer would be rendered inoperable from Wednesday, June 15 2022. In the release, it stated how the Internet Explorer’s future is in Microsoft Edge on Windows 10. This replacement would be essentially a faster, more modern and more secure browsing experience than Internet Explorer. Moreover, it would finally be able to address a crucial concern: compatibility for older, legacy applications and websites.
Additionally, Microsoft Edge would include an Internet Explorer mode (‘IE’ mode), hence one could easily access those legacy applications and websites based in the Internet Explorer ‘straight from Microsoft Edge. With its capabilities of ‘assuming this responsibility and more,’ the company release said, the Internet Explorer 11 application would be retired from the specified date.
Various reactions on the ageing browsers retirement on Twitter:
Support for Internet Explorer 11 will end in a week. ☠️https://t.co/tj93eLLlHq pic.twitter.com/wgnXqt9Mzo
— AlternativeTo (@AlternativeTo) June 8, 2022
ProductHunt: After 27 years of service, Microsoft is going to retire Internet Explorer for good on June 15th. pic.twitter.com/EEpvrx34FQ
— ProductGram (@ProductGrams) June 12, 2022
https://twitter.com/CnaVD/status/1535744759842627584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1535744759842627584%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.livemint.com%2Fnews%2Fworld%2FEnd20of20an20era%3A20Microsoft20to20shut20its20oldest20browser20Internet20Explorer20after202720years.20See20Twitter20reactions
https://twitter.com/TechieAman/status/1535949638519627776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1535949638519627776%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.livemint.com%2Fnews%2Fworld%2FEnd20of20an20era%3A20Microsoft20to20shut20its20oldest20browser20Internet20Explorer20after202720years.20See20Twitter20reactions
Internet Explorer reached its peak usage of 95% in 2003, but failed to maintain its position, and ultimately saw the initiation of its dramatic decline. Various competitors came into the browser market with their offers of better interfaces, smoother performances and much faster speeds. Evidently, Microsoft’s vintage browser did not have the ability to keep up with the markets’s competition.
Gradually, Internet Explorer went on to devolve into nothing more than just default used to install other browsers such as Google’s Chrome, or Mozilla Firefox. Microsoft Edge programme manager, Sean Lyndersay was the one who noted that Internet Explorer’s future on Windows10 was in Microsoft Edge.
Further, Lyndersay went on to note how Microsoft Edge is much more than just a faster, ‘more contemporary and more secure’ replacement for the 27 year old browser. As a quicker browsing experience, it addresses various important issues which were not taken care of on Internet Explorer.
Crucially, Microsoft suspended the development of new browser feature, marking this as the first time that it has taken the decision to phase out its ageing browser. It is evident from the reactions on Twitter that people are both nostalgic and shocked by the news.