March 18, 2015

Microsoft to phase out Internet Explorer

By Michael Tanenbaum
PhillyVoice Staff

User @a3_aaron/Twitter

Despite attempts to clear Internet Explorer of its negative perception, Microsoft will move away from the browser with its release of Windows 10.

When Microsoft announced plans for its upcoming "Project Spartan" web browser in January, it was a sign of Internet Explorer's approaching phase-out.

Nearly 20 years after the stalwart Microsoft browser outdueled Netscape Navigator for primacy on the World Wide Web, the Seattle-based company announced its intention to replace Internet Explorer for the launch of Windows 10 this summer.

Despite maintaining 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.

Though legacy browser support for IE will be available with some versions of Windows 10, Microsoft's chief marketing officer, Chris Capossella, says the focus in those instances will be on business use.

Last spring, Internet Explorer was among the most compromised browsers during the "designer bug" scares 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.

"Project Spartan" has yet to be officially named or made available to developers, but a few of its features have been revealed. In addition to a reading list, built-in PDF viewer, and handwritten notes on web pages, the new browser will include integration of Cortana, Microsoft's virtual assistant. The video below demonstrates some of Cortana's helpful uses.

Touted as a "truly cross-device" operating system, Windows 10 has been tested in Technical Preview form by more than 2.8 million users worldwide. No official release date has been announced.