Microsoft "permanently disabled" Internet Explorer on Valentine's Day, shutting down a web browser that for a long time has stood in the shadow of newer, better web browsers.
Microsoft Edge has co-existed with Internet Explorer for years, but now it will be the default browser on all Windows devices.
“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,” Sean Lyndersay, general manager of Microsoft Edge Enterprise, wrote in a 2021 blog post announcing Internet Explorer's eventual demise.
The browser launched in 1995 and for a long time was the most popular entry point to the web. Then federal regulators in 1997 sued Microsoft for requiring computer makers to use Internet Explorer as part of Windows.
The legal pressure eventually forced Microsoft to open up Windows to other browsers, which soon gained market share.
Google's Chrome now makes up 65 percent of the browser market, and Apple's Safari makes up 19 percent, according to analytics company Statcounter. As for Microsoft Edge, it currently stands at around 4 percent.
Internet Explorer's final version came out in 2013.
While more nostalgic web denizens lamented the brower's passing, others commented that it had become "bug-ridden and insecure," and noted that it was primarily used for downloading other browsers.
What you Need to Know on Thursday, March 17. Updates from Ukraine, President Biden refers to Putin as a ‘war criminal’ for the first time, Walmart has ambitious hiring targets for Q1, and Netflix takes steps to crack down on password sharing.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg joined Cheddar's Michelle Castillo from South By Southwest to boost President Biden's bipartisan infrastructure legislation and talk about the big transportation issues of the day, including electric vehicle charging infrastructure and the future of public transit. "It means we have a huge wind at our back delivering on the kinds of transportation solutions that are going to define the 2020's 2030s, 2040s even," he said. "And that's what makes it exciting to come to South by Southwest and talk with some of the people who are following these technologies and ideas the most closely and talk about where we're headed." Buttigieg also touched on the "Don't Say Gay" legislation in Florida, noting that such legislative pushes were likely coming from politicians deflecting from lacking answers to pressing economic concerns, in his opinion.
Social audio app Clubhouse reached $1 billion valuation milestone this January, and Fadia Kader, head of strategic media partnerships at Clubhouse, joined Cheddar News to talk about what its been doing to keep the drive going. "We are the category first leaders. We are 100 percent focused on social audio. It's not just a feature that we've just like bottled up and put on there. We are a medium that is 100 percent focused on community and social audio," she said.
