When many think of surfing the internet from the earliest days of the world-wide-web, Internet Explorer is usually one of the first browsers that come to mind for many of those who were around when the internet was just getting started. Microsoft's flagship browser has stood the test of time even as Microsoft's technology has rapidly advanced around it, with Internet Explorer's most recent version announcing new support would end for the platform in 2020. Now, as Microsoft's focus shifts towards the browser's successor, Internet Explorer is rapidly entering its final days.
In the 27 years since Internet Explorer's debut alongside the launch of Windows 95, the browser has seen both peaks and valleys from being the most widely-used internet browser in the world to today, where the browser is set to be retired later this year. The current deadline isn't the first time Microsoft has thrown around the idea of ending Internet Explorer, with the developer setting up Microsoft Edge as its successor. However, Microsoft has stated several times since announcing the scheduled closer last year it will adhere to the announced closure in June 2022 with recent warnings coming for Internet Explorer users.
Microsoft has once again started to warn Internet Explorer users about the browser's planned closure with the platform set to be removed from modern Windows 10 machines on June 15th of this year. The ending of Internet Explorer comes as Microsoft has phased the browser out of its other platforms with Xbox consoles running on Microsoft Edge and Valve's Steam Deck even supporting Edge. While the announced June closure pertains specifically to computers running Windows 10, Microsoft has also previously announced plans to close Internet Explorer on machines still running Windows 7 and 8 in January.
While Internet Explorer's penultimate closure is a sad end for one of the icons of the early internet, the browser has already been waning for a number of years, with many who still used the platform switching to Microsoft Edge. The rise of other browsers like Firefox and Google Chrome also aided in the falling user base for the classic internet browser. Studies on internet usage in recent years have shown a steep decline in the use of Internet Explorer, while Google has continued to establish a stranglehold over the browser industry with Chrome consistently topping usage charts.
The closure of Internet Explorer comes as Microsoft has been in the spotlight of the world of gaming since the start of 2022. January saw Microsoft making waves in the gaming industry as the tech juggernaut acquired Activision Blizzard in a massive deal worth nearly $70 billion, and leaks relating to Xbox's "Project Keystone" have sparked speculations from fans relating to a potential new console or new hardware from the developer. Internet Explorer's retirement next month will mark the end of an era for not only Microsoft as a company but the internet as a whole.
Source: PC Gamer