MICROSOFT is closing down Internet Explorer today after 26 years, and netizens are paying their respects.
The browser was once one of the world’s most popular ways to surf the web but is being put out to pasture by the tech titan.
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As Explorer makes way for Microsoft’s newer, shinier browser, Edge, fans have taken to Twitter to bid their farewells.
Some described its retirement as the “end of an era”, while one fan branded the humble piece of software a “legend”.
A presumably teary-eyed admirer quipped: “Of all the web browsers I have encountered in my travels, it was the most… human.”
Others mocked Explorer’s reputation for being slow and archaic.
Alongside a screengrab filled with Explorer error pop-ups – common whenever the browser crashed – one person tweeted: “RIP to Internet Explore. Thank you for teaching me how to manage anger.”
As the default browser on Windows, Explorer was frequently used simply to download rival browsers such as Google Chrome or Firefox when setting up a new computer.
That wasn’t lost on one Twitter jokester, who wrote: “RIP to the #1 Chrome installer of all time.”
Another jibed: “Thank you for helping me download Chrome.”
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In its heyday in the ’90s and ’00s, Explorer was the most popular web browser around.
However, over the past decade, it had become the butt of plenty of online jokes due to rampant performance issues.
Despite its reputation Explorer today 0.65 per cent of web users around the globe still use the browser, according to Stat Counter.
That’s dwarfed by Chrome and Apple’s Safari, which boast a 64.95 per cent and 19.01 per cent market share respectively.
Microsoft attempted to shift away from its ageing browser in 2015 with the introduction of Edge.
“The future of Internet Explorer on Windows 10 is in Microsoft Edge,” the firm said.
“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.
“While Internet Explorer 11 packaged security updates monthly, Microsoft Edge can issue security patches for immediate vulnerabilities within days, if not hours.”
In a FAQ, Microsoft specified that it was only ending support for Internet Explorer on Windows 10 20H2 and later.
Internet Explorer 11 desktop applications on other Windows versions, including Windows 8.1; Windows 7 ESU, Windows SAC, or Windows 10 IoT LTSC will be unaffected by the change.
Microsoft said they do not advise users to avoid or skip Windows updates to keep IE11, “as Windows updates contain critical operating system security patches”.
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This post first appeared on Thesun.co.uk
