Page 16 - June_Newsletter_2022_2

Our thanks to both Derek and Barry for their very informative presentation.

Dave Robb

Microsoft is finally retiring the consumer version of

Internet Explorer.

Microsoft announced the plan last year, making Internet Explorer 11 its final version.
Internet Explorer first appeared on Windows desktop computers in 1995 and by 2004, had cornered 95% of the
market. But now, Google Chrome, Apple's Safari and Mozilla Firefox are dominant. So users wanting to stick
with Microsoft are being directed to Microsoft Edge, launched in 2015, alongside Windows 10.
Internet Explorer's popularity took a real hit with the launch of faster browsers such as Chrome and Firefox,
users wanted a faster way to navigate platforms including Google Search, Facebook and YouTube.

The rise of smartphones then arguably delivered the fatal blow, with Apple's pre-installed Safari browser and
Google Chrome on Android phones helping to shift internet access and usage into the mobile realm.

Mobile and tablet internet usage overtook desktop worldwide for the first time in October 2016, earlier that
year, Google Chrome accounted for more than 60% of desktop internet usage worldwide, with Internet Ex-
plorer and Edge's combined share of the desktop market narrowly falling behind that of Firefox for the first
time.

Edge retains an inbuilt "IE mode" for developers and those seeking to access legacy applications.
Microsoft says access to its legacy desktop browser will be maintained on older versions of Windows, includ-
ing Windows 8.1, Windows 7 Extended Security Updates and limited versions of Windows 10.
Internet Explorer's legacy is sure to live on after its retirement, having come pre-installed on Windows comput-
ers for more than two decades.