Microsoft is Breaking Up With Internet Explorer, Nice and Slow

It was once the only way to connect to the internet in most personal computers. For years, Microsoft’s Internet Explorer brought internet to the masses. Before the arrival of multiple tabs, search from address bars, and a multitude of browsers to choose from, there was the Internet Explorer (IE). Now it’s the year 2015, and we have come a long way from 1995 when IE first came into existence. The browser landscape has changed dramatically, and Microsoft has decided to slowly say farewell to the good old IE.

Microsoft launched the Internet Explorer in 1995 as an add-on package Plus! for Windows 95. After its launch, Microsoft had to face a much publicised lawsuit against the American government who alleged that by integrating the internet browser with the operating system, the company was engaging in monopolistic behaviour. It was said Microsoft’s inclusion of a web browser would be severely detrimental to other browsers of that time such as the Netscape Navigator. Microsoft used its monopoly power and eventually won the war of browsers as well as reached a settlement, in that case.

Over the years, IE has constantly lost ground to newer browsers like Firefox and Chrome.

In recent years, there have been immense developments in the field of browsers and IE has now taken a back-seat. Not just that, it has received much ridicule over the internet for not keeping up with the times. Browsers like Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome are fast eating into the IE’s market share though IE still enjoys a comfortable majority with almost 40% of the market share as its present by default in most systems.

Coming to the future of IE, Microsoft has already announced that it would be replacing IE for a whole new default browser for Windows 10 OS with what is presently known as Project Spartan. Internet Explorer will still be present on a few Windows 10 systems, for enterprise consumers who use it for its business applications. Microsoft had previously said that the new rendering engine for Spartan will also be shared with IE, but the company said that it would not be doing that any more.

Internet Explorer will be replaced with Spartan which will be the browser of the future for Microsoft.

In Windows 10, IE will be carried forward unchanged from Windows 8.1. Spartan, on the other hand, will offer unique features that would let it take on the present giants of the business. Microsoft’s voice assistant, Cortana, will also feature in this new browser to make it easier for you to find what you are looking for.

Every journey has its end, and IE is on the last leg of its journey. As the enterprises and governments who still use IE shift to newer browsers, IE will rapidly lose its share in the market. But considering the iconic stature of the browser, Microsoft needs to send it off in style. We hope Microsoft gets this message, and it hosts a legendary farewell event for the grand old Explorer.