When Microsoft announced plans for its upcoming "Project Spartan" web browser back in January, it was a sign of Internet Explorer's approaching phase-out.
Despite retaining about
58% percent of all online visits as of late 2014, the retirement of Internet Explorer reflects Microsoft's belief that the browser is outdated and lacks the functionality to compete for mobile traffic.
Last spring, Internet Explorer was among the most compromised browsers during scares initiated by "designer bugs" Heartbleed and Shellshock. Given other options in Google's Chrome, Mozilla's Firefox and Apple's Safari, consumers have gradually migrated to the newer, sleeker browsers that offer better security, performance and organization.
Though "Project Spartan" has yet to be officially named or made available to developers, a few of its features have been revealed. In addition to a reading list, built-in PDF viewer, and hand the new browser will include Cortana integration,