But how will we explore the internet now? (Source: Getty Images / Fairfax Media)
It’s time for Internet Explorer — the browser that once dominated the web — to say farewell.
Microsoft will retire its flagship browser with few exceptions on June 15, 2022.
Internet Explorer (IE) debuted in 1995…
At its height in 2003, it held 95% of the browser market share.
That means nearly everyone was using it to send spooky chain letters from Hotmail accounts and browse “X-Files” fan sites on Angelfire.
As security and speed issues bubbled up and competing browsers emerged — like Firefox in 2002 and Google Chrome in 2008 — IE quickly fell out of favor.
The Chrome takeover
In 2010, the BBC reported that IE held just 59.9% of the market share compared to Firefox’s 24.5% and Google Chrome’s 6.7%.
And here’s what browser market share looks like today, according to StatCounter’s most recent worldwide numbers:
- Chrome: 65%
- Safari: 19%
- Firefox: 4%
- Microsoft Edge: 3%
- IE: <1% (womp womp womp)
Microsoft is replacing IE with its Edge browser
The Big Tech behemoth says Edge — which dropped in 2015 using Google’s Chromium source code — is “faster, more secure and more modern.”
Some features:
- Sleeping tabs: which make the dozens of tabs you have open use less CPU
- Collections: which let you gather pages, text, and pictures
- Vertical tabs: which are easier to read and look cleaner
Hey, remember Netscape Navigator? We don’t either.
