Technology company Microsoft is pulling a plug into its old Internet Explorer after 25 years of service. Released in 1995, the search browser came as an extension to Windows 95.
Subsequent versions were available for free or as in-service packages. Known as the OG search browser, Internet Explorer saw its biggest jump in 2003 before falling and becoming a minor favorite after new browsers entered the market.
According to Microsoft, the company will terminate the general support of an aging search engine that will be deactivated from June 15, 2022.
The technology company has announced the discontinuation of Internet Explorer as the future of search engine optimization for Windows 10 is in Microsoft Edge. ” , assets and applications, “the company said in a statement.
Microsoft Edge comes with built-in Internet Explorer mode, so users can access those IE-based websites and applications.
“We cannot thank everyone enough for their support of Internet Explorer over the years. Many people and organizations around the world have relied on IE to support them as they are educated, growing and doing business online,” Microsoft added.
The time is coming for us all. It is a lesson learned by Microsoft, as its once powerful browser – eventually – no longer exists. And that “e” circle symbol will not be the first icon you click when you start a new PC, and you won’t have to spend Saturday afternoon removing the seven tool bars from your mom’s computer. Internet Explorer dies tomorrow, June 15, leaving nothing but memories – and, you know, Edge – in the background.
You can’t say no one saw this coming. Some may say that the Microsoft browser died a few years ago, was replaced by Chrome and, to a lesser extent, Firefox. The last roll-out of Internet Explorer slowed down in 2013, at the time of the Windows 8 crash. Unbeknownst to many, the company had already launched Windows 10, a popular operating system launched with a brand new browser. Edge did not light a fire in the world – these days, the Chrome version with Microsoft skin – but the message was clear: Internet Explorer days are numbered.
How did we get here? As we would like to say, Microsoft has done this for itself – and let’s face it – Google’s actions against Internet Explorer 6 are well documented. In the late 2000’s, engineers on YouTube plotted to dismantle that old, XP-enabled browser. By simply adding a browser to the top of the page that prompted users to upgrade to a new browser, the days of Internet Explorer dominating the web came to an end. Users started reviewing in bulk while technology journalists praised Google’s efforts to make the internet faster and safer. Don’t worry the executives had never signed up for the program – it worked, and other product teams started using the same method.
from there, the text is on the wall. Chrome surpassed the use of Internet Explorer in 2012, a year since the launch of its latest version, the only major growth in the last decade. These days, Chrome accounts for about two-thirds of all browsing, with Safari ranked second only. To add insult to injury, Google itself has hidden itself in IE over the past year, discontinued Workspace support and restricted search information to the asset browser.
Although Microsoft has maintained a certain level of support for Internet Explorer 11 since 2016, it has gradually entered the “OS component” state, which is no longer available for download and installation only as a single, hidden browser basically for all new PCs. The built-in Edge “IE Mode,” which replicates the Trident building engine in a secure environment, with Chromium, is set to be backed by at least 2029, keeping a small part of the browser living up to compliance requirements.
Personally, I will always have a soft spot in my heart for Internet Explorer. It was the first browser I ever used, back in Windows 95, the first way I ever had a web as a child. Internet Explorer 6 is also a way to get Firefox, especially since my family’s XP machine hung up for a few minutes at a time – and often crashes – whenever you open it.
So, goodbye, Internet Explorer. I can’t say it was a good browser for most of its life, but it was how I – and millions of others – learned to explore the web. And for that, I will always be grateful. In the meantime, Edge will take its place as everyone’s favorite way to install Chrome.
