Internet Explorer - The OG Browser Gets Retired by Microsoft on June 15 After 27 Years Of Service

The OG of all browsers – Internet Explorer will finally say its goodbye to us all on June 15. The browser was first presented to the world in 1995 as part of the add-on package Plus! for Windows 95, and was a big part of everyone’s lives, until its run for 27 years.

Later versions of the browser were available as free downloads or in-service packs, and were included with OEM service releases of Windows 95 and later versions of Windows.

Although, by 2003, the browser had reached saturation with a 95 percent usage share, other browsers from other companies entered the market, causing Internet Explorer’s user base to decline in the years that followed.

Since Microsoft released a new browser, Microsoft Edge, in 2016, there were no further feature advancements for Internet Explorer. This was the company’s strategy for gradually discontinuing Internet Explorer.

“The future of Internet Explorer on Windows 10 is in Microsoft Edge,” remarked Sean Lyndersay, program manager for Microsoft Edge.

“Not only is Microsoft Edge a faster, more secure and more modern browsing experience than Internet Explorer,” he added, “but it is also able to address a key concern: compatibility for older, legacy websites and applications.”

“Microsoft Edge has Internet Explorer mode (‘IE mode’) built in, so you can access those legacy Internet Explorer-based websites and applications straight from Microsoft Edge. With Microsoft Edge capable of assuming this responsibility and more, the Internet Explorer 11 desktop application will be retired and go out of support on June 15, 2022, for certain versions of Windows 10,” he said.

Microsoft 356 stopped support for Internet Explorer on August 17, 2021, and Microsoft Team ended support for the browser on November 30, 2020. As per several reliable sources, Internet Explorer is set to be phased out on June 15, 2022.

The news about the browser brings a certain nostalgic feeling especially to the ‘90s kids. And yes, we couldn’t also get past the several jokes that’s been running about about how sluggish it is.