Microsoft retires Internet Explorer

After 27 years, Microsoft has retired Internet Explorer and is redirecting its users to use Microsoft Edge. Edge was launched in 2015, bundled with Windows 10 - it is used by around 4% of all web traffic today.

Internet Explorer was released in 1995, and cornered 95% of the market by 2003. Its popularity began to decline as faster browsers were launched, such as Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox.

The rise of smartphones further damaged their popularity, as Google’s Chrome and Apple’s Safari browsers were pre-installed on devices. The shift to mobile browsing helped Google to capture 65% of the market share and Apple has 20%.

Microsoft has said that Edge is still compatible with “old, legacy websites and applications,” but is “a faster, more secure and more modern browsing experience than Internet Explorer.” Its legacy desktop browser will be maintained on the older versions of Windows. Additionally, Edge has an inbuilt “IE mode” for those who want access to legacy applications.

Image from the Metro