Microsoft is shutting down Internet Explorer after 27 years; 90s users get nostalgic

KATHMANDU: Microsoft is finally pulling the plug on the iconic Internet Explorer. The web browser was first released in 1995 as part of the add-on package Plus! for Windows 95 that year.

Later versions were available as free downloads, or in-service packs, and included in the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) service releases of Windows 95 and later versions of Windows.

The browser reportedly reached its peak in 2003 with around 95% usage share. But with the release of new browsers from other competitors, their user base fell in the years that followed.

New feature development for Internet Explorer was discontinued in 2016 in favor of the new browser Microsoft Edge. This was the first time Microsoft had planned to slowly phase out Internet Explorer.

Microsoft 365 ended support for Internet Explorer on August 17, 2021, and Microsoft Teams ended support for IE on November 30, 2020. Internet Explorer is set for discontinuation on June 15, 2022, according to reports.

Sean Lyndersay, Microsoft Edge program manager, said ‘the future of Internet Explorer on Windows 10 is in Microsoft Edge’.

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

“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 added.

Those who have used computers at home, schools, and offices in the 1990s and early 2000s will have fond memories of Internet Explorer. For millions around the world, the browser served as the first gateway to the world wide web.
It was also the only way to access the popular browsers of today that we are all used to.