Internet Explorer finally has a future.
Microsoft has decided to discontinue support for the browser once king. This 27-year-old app now joins BlackBerry phones and dial-up modems, as well as Palm Pilots, in the history of tech.
Internet Explorer’s death was not unexpected. Microsoft announced that Internet Explorer would be ending on June 15, 2022. This was one year ago. Edge was launched in 2015.
The company was clear that it was time for them to move on.
In a blog post from May 2021, Sean Lyndersay, general manger of Microsoft Edge Enterprise, stated that Microsoft Edge is a more efficient, secure, and modern browser than Internet Explorer. He also noted that it can address a key concern, compatibility with older websites and applications.
Twitter users marked Explorer’s passing as a favorite browser to install other browsers. Others saw it as a nostalgic moment, while The Wall Street Journal quoted an 22-year old who was sad to see Internet Explorer go.
Microsoft released Internet Explorer’s first version in 1995. This was the end of the antediluvian era when web surfing was dominated by Netscape Navigator, which was the most popular browser. Its release signaled the end for Navigator. Microsoft continued to tie Internet Explorer and the ubiquitous Windows operating system so closely that many users simply use it as a default browser instead of Navigator.
In 1997, the Justice Department sued Microsoft. They claimed that Microsoft violated a consent decree by requiring computer manufacturers to use its browser in order to use Windows. Microsoft eventually settled the antitrust dispute in 2002, over its use to squash rivals using its Windows monopoly. It also had to deal with European regulators, who claimed that Internet Explorer was tied to Windows and gave it an unfair advantage over competitors like Opera, Mozilla Firefox, and Google Chrome.
Internet Explorer users complained that it was slow, vulnerable to hacking, and prone to crashes. As users discovered more attractive alternatives, Internet Explorer’s market share, which was nearly 90% in the early 2000s, began to decline.
According to Statcounter, Chrome is the dominant browser today, with a roughly 65% share of global browser market. Safari has 19%. Edge, Internet Explorer’s heir apparent, is just 4% behind Firefox.
