Internet Explorer is now officially dead after Microsoft announced that they will no longer support the desktop app as of June 15th. The old internet browser that has been memed to death for its slow nature and lack of updating is ending just before its 27th birthday.
It’s a solemn moment for those of us that grew up on Internet Explorer, with its strange face-like icon. However, Microsoft’s focus has been pushing towards Edge for the past few years. It really is the end of a legacy.
“If you’re a web developer working on a modern website or app, we know you’ve been waiting for this day for a long time. Internet Explorer has increasingly been difficult to support side-by-side with modern browsers,” Microsoft wrote in a blog post last spring.
Internet Explorer began its short, but eventful life back in 1995 and became an important part of Microsoft’s Windows OS. It exploded to popularity, with 99% of the internet market held by Internet Explorer in 1999.
Edge was brought into the world back in 2015 and it seems like Internet Explorer has taught it all it needs to know to continue doing the work it must.
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On Wednesday, most Windows users will automatically be redirected from Internet Explorer to Microsoft’s Edge browser.
In its 2021 blog post, Microsoft also clarified that companies that still rely on Explorer will be able to run needed applications in Edge with its Internet Explorer mode feature: “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. Microsoft Edge has Internet Explorer mode (“IE mode”) built in, so you can access those legacy Internet Explorer-based websites and applications straight from Microsoft Edge.”
The browser has been declining in popularity for years, and so the move has come as expected by many in the tech world. Still, it is sad for the many that used it for years.
RIP Internet Explorer: 1995-2022. You will forever be remembered, buddy.
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Zainah Yousef
Zainah Yousef is the author of The Fallen Age Saga and specializes in gaming, social media advice, and reviews. She's been writing all her life and she probably won't stop anytime soon.
