Internet Explorer bows out after 27 years of existence. Microsoft owner Bill Gates had announced the news in May 2021, and it’s now official. In the past few years, the browser has become an object of ridicule on the Internet – and mainly as memes on social media platforms.
(Source: Twitter/TomWarren)
Created in 1995, Internet Explorer succeeded to outperform its predecessor Netscape. The former enjoyed a memorable culmination in 2004, representing 95% of research. But the browser got burned soon after due to an accumulation of security breaches, on top of regular bugs which affected its search speed. These sullied the browser renown which was hence known – and mocked – for these flaws.
Since June 15, the few remaining Internet Explorer users are automatically redirected to Microsoft Edge. Microsoft announced that this will last until the new Windows update, which is to erase Internet Explorer once and for all. This is part of Microsoft strategy so as to come back in competition, and eventually to convert Internet users to adopt Microsoft Edge.
Microsoft still has a long way to go, as Google’s Chrome prevails “with roughly 65% in the worldwide browser market”.
