Internet Explorer the Hero of Windows Died at the Age of 26
Internet Explorer is no longer available. After nearly 27 years, Microsoft is retiring it. With support for IE 11 being formally terminated today, the old web browser is being phased out in favor of Microsoft Edge. After moving away from the Explorer branding with the release of Windows 10 in 2015, it’s the end of an era on the internet.
The hero of Windows, Internet Explorer, has died at the age of 26.
There aren’t many changes for consumers. Explorer’s usage has dropped dramatically in recent years. This is with StatCounter reporting that IE now has less than a 5% market share of all browsers. For years, Microsoft has worked to discourage users from using Internet Explorer. They refer to it as a “compatibility solution” rather than a browser that businesses should actively use.
Part of Window in Future:
Over the next few months, Microsoft will begin rolling out a new popup. This will move anyone still using Internet Explorer to Microsoft Edge. As part of a future Windows upgrade, Internet Explorer will be permanently deactivating.
While Microsoft’s Edge, which is by Chromium, is now the default browser in Windows 11, the MSHTML engine that powers Internet Explorer is still inn. It exists solely to enable IE mode in Microsoft Edge, which Microsoft states will be supporting until at least 2029.
For web apps and sites that require Internet Explorer, businesses have mostly switched to Edge’s IE mode. This IE mode for Edge was by Microsoft in 2019. It supports older ActiveX controls that are still many legacy sites are using. Internet Explorer will remain on in spirit through this mode, but there will be no more Internet Explorer cakes.
Some businesses will be off guard by the Internet Explorer retirement. Or will not be able to completely phase out its use in time. Some government departments and financial institutions in Japan have been reluctant to respond to the IE retirement. This is according to Nikkei this week. For example, the Japan Pension Service website must be viewing in Edge’s IE mode.
Thousands of comparable enterprises and instances of this Explorer usage are expecting to exist around the world. For years, Microsoft has been warning of today’s Internet Explorer retirement, and it’s still cautious with alerts and redirection until the browser is eliminating in the coming months.
In a Nutshell:
Explorer isn’t an issue for Windows 11 users because it doesn’t even come with an accessible version. It’s the first time in more than two decades. That Microsoft hasn’t included Internet Explorer with a new version of Windows. The infamous United States v. Microsoft antitrust case and the European Commission’s action against Microsoft culminated in a browser ballot. It is inside specific versions of Windows as a result of that bundling decision.
For more latest news, click here.