Nearly 27 years after it first appeared on desktop computers, Microsoft announced it would phase out Internet Explorer, its much-maligned legacy browser.
The desktop app will be deactivated on June 15 and users will instead be routed to Microsoft Edge.
In the days before Google, Facebook, and TikTok, Internet Explorer was the go-to browser for anybody born before the dawn of Generation Z. It required a CD-ROM installation and was the only option for those without access to a home computer.
The dominance of Microsoft in the operating system industry can be attributed to the company's practice of bundling its products with the Windows operating system. It was a frustrating experience, and when Mozilla's Firefox and Google Chrome came along, people jumped ship in droves.
Certain versions of Windows 10 distributed via the Semi-Annual Channel (SAC) damage Internet Explorer 11 desktop apps on Windows 10 client SKUs (version 20H2 and later) and Windows 10 IoT systems that use Internet Explorer 11. (version 20H2 and later).
Microsoft Edge, the new Chromium-based Microsoft browser, is the default browser in Windows 11.
Internet Explorer 11 will continue to be supported after June 15, 2022, in Windows 7 Extended Support Update (ESU), Windows 8.1, and Windows 10 LTSC client, IoT, and server.
is Internet Explorer ever truly dead? pic.twitter.com/KQGndprUxn — Tom Warren (@tomwarren) June 14, 2022
Internet Explorer is a browser included in Windows since Windows 95 (1995). Initially based on Spyglass’s Mosaic, by 2003 it boasted a 95% browser market share. Later, with new competitors such as Chrome, its usage declined. The final version, 11, ends support on 15th June 2022. pic.twitter.com/bDXwSohqwH — Windows On Windows (@wowstartsnow) June 14, 2022
Twitter users mourned the death of Explorer, with some deeming it "bug-ridden" or the "best browser for installing other browsers." IE's demise was met with mixed reactions. Some saw it as an opportunity to parody the memes of the 1990s, while others expressed sadness.
Microsoft's #InternetExplorer is officially retiring after 27 years. pic.twitter.com/08uO17qin0 — nyus (@nyus_app) June 13, 2022
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