Internet Explorer, the online browser widely used and just as widely ridiculed, is finally dead. Microsoft has officially told users to switch from the 27-year-old app and switch to the newer Edge browser instead.
The software giant has suspended support for the product since Wednesday, June 15. Internet Explorer (IE) has a clear but contested part in the history of the Internet. It used to be so dominant that it caught the attention of US regulators, but it became hated by many consumers and was eventually replaced by Edge.
“Not only is Microsoft Edge a faster, more secure, and more advanced browsing experience than Internet Explorer, but it’s also able to address a key issue: compatibility for older, legacy websites and applications.” Sean Lindersey, general manager of Microsoft Edge Enterprise, wrote in a blog post in May 2021 announcing the closing date.
Users have noted the exploration of Explorer on Twitter, with some calling it “bug fixes, insecure POS” or “the best browser to install on other browsers.” For others, it was a time of nostalgic memes from the 1990s, while the Wall Street Journal quoted a 22-year-old who was sad to see IE go away.
Microsoft released the first version of IE in 1995, the era of web browsing dominated by the first widely popular browser, Netscape Navigator. Its launch marks the beginning of the end of Navigator: Microsoft has continued to connect IE and its ubiquitous Windows operating system so tightly that computer users around the world use it by default.
The Justice Department sued Microsoft in 1997, saying it had violated an earlier consent order by requiring computer makers to use its browser as a condition of using Windows. It eventually agreed to settle the antitrust battle in 2002 over the use of Windows’ monopoly to crush competitors. He also clashed with European regulators, who said linking Internet Explorer to Windows gave it an unfair advantage over competitors such as Mozilla’s Firefox, Google’s Opera and Chrome.
Meanwhile, users complain that IE is slow, prone to crashes and vulnerable to hacks. IE’s market share, which was more than 90 percent in the early 2000s, began to fade as consumers found more attractive alternatives.
Today, the Chrome browser dominates about 65 percent of the global browser market, followed by Apple’s Safari with 19 percent, according to internet analytics company Statcounter. IE’s successor, Edge, is about 4 percent behind Firefox.
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