Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Microsoft plans to pull the plug on Internet Explorer

Microsoft plans to pull the plug on Internet Explorer

Microsoft said it plans to largely retire its Internet Explorer browser, adding to the digital scrap heap a product once at the center of one of the tech industry’s biggest battles.

Microsoft said it plans to largely retire its Internet Explorer browser, adding to the digital scrap heap a product once at the center of one of the tech industry’s biggest battles.

The software giant on Wednesday said its Internet Explorer 11 desktop application, the current version, will no longer be supported starting June 15 of next year for certain versions of the company’s Windows software. Microsoft’s browser push now is centered on Edge, which it launched in 2015, and shares underlying technology with Chrome.

Internet Explorer has faded gradually from prominence as rival browsers such as Chrome from Alphabet Inc.’s Google unit and Safari from Apple Inc. have won audiences. Internet Explorer had less than 2% of the global browser market for desktop computers in April, according to web analytics firm Statcounter. Chrome had more than 65% of that market, ahead of Safari’s roughly 10%. Microsoft Edge had 8%, according to the data.


Internet Explorer joins other big names from the early days of the internet era to transition from digital reality to corporate history after being overtaken by others. AOL Instant Messenger was retired in 2017 after users flocked to platforms such as Facebook Inc.’s WhatsApp. Two years later, Tumblr, the microblogging site turned social-media network, was sold for a pittance after being overtaken by Facebook and others. BlackBerry Ltd. the company that popularized mobile email and whose devices became a must have for many in business, stopped selling its own devices after Apple’s success with the iPhone and other smartphones caught on. It still provides security software for phones and other devices.

More than two decades ago, Internet Explorer was riding high—perhaps too high to some. It featured prominently in the browser battle of roughly 20 years ago and in the U.S. government’s antitrust battle against Microsoft. A federal judge ruled that Microsoft maintained its monopoly in operating-systems software by anticompetitive means and attempted to monopolize the web-browser market by unlawfully tying its Internet Explorer browser to its Windows operating-system software. The practice caused the use of Netscape Navigator, once a dominant browser, "to drop substantially" from 1995 to 1998, the judge wrote. Microsoft in 2001 reached a settlement with the Justice Department over its allegations, without admitting wrongdoing.

Microsoft’s decision to sunset the browser is also a reflection of how people have changed their habits around accessing the internet, with the rise of tablets and smartphones supplanting, for many, the use of personal computers as their principal way to connect. Apple’s introduction of the App Store on the iPhone, for instance, provided a different way for people to access Internet applications. Some of the practices around those tools are now under antitrust scrutiny.

Meanwhile, Internet Explorer experienced neglect not only from a broad spectrum of consumers. The software didn’t earn a reference in Microsoft’s most recent annual report.

For those who just can’t let go, Microsoft is offering an "IE mode" with its Edge browser, allowing users to access websites and applications that haven’t transitioned away from Internet Explorer.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
×