Microsoft is retiring its iconic web browser, Internet Explorer, after 27 years
Microsoft is retiring its iconic web browser, Internet Explorer, after 27 years. The move was announced by the tech giant last year when it said “the Internet Explorer 11 desktop application will be retired and go out of support on June 15, 2022”. Rolled out in 1995, Internet Explorer now joins Blackberry phones, Yahoo messenger and other archetypal services in the tech dustbin. The company is replacing the browser with Microsoft Edge as it offers faster, more secure and more modern browsing experience. To say goodbye to Internet Explorer, here are five facts that you may not know about this decades old web browser.
1. Codename for first Internet Explorer was O’Hare
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When Internet Explorer was incidentally released in August 1995, the codename for the web browser was O’Hare. The codename is reference to O’Hare International Airport in Chicago. The company picked the name O’Hare as the codename for Windows 95 operating system was Chicago.
2. Internet Explorer was once the most used browser across the globe
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Microsoft Internet Explorer became the most dominant web browser in the world after beating Netscape Navigator. The browser had 95 percent market share between 2002-2003. For context, Google Chrome has around 65% market share followed by Apple Safari.
3. Few website can only be accessed via Internet Explorer (now Edge too)
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For those who do not know, the Internet Explorer used to run and support Microsoft’s ActiveX software framework. Several old websites are dependent on ActiveX controls and can only display pages on Internet Explorer. To support such websites, the company is adding an IE mode in the Edge browser.
4. Internet Explorer has an official anime mascot
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Microsoft Singapore unveiled the official anime mascot for Internet Explorer called Inori Aizawa in 2013 during Anime Festival Asia. The anime was aimed to entice anime fans to use Internet Explorer as the browser was losing popularity. The anime mascot was designed by Collateral Damage Studios and had its own Facebook profile.
5. Internet Explorer was mocked by Microsoft
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As memes on social media platforms were gaining popularity, the performance issues of Internet Explorer were at the centre in 2012. Following the trend, Microsoft created a parody video on Internet Explorer that was titled “The Browser You Loved to Hate”.
