Internet Explorer downgraded to 'Walking Dead' status as Microsoft sets date for demise
- Reference: 1621492339
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2021/05/20/internet_explorer_death_day_set/
- Source link:
A Windows Experience [1]post delivered the news as follows:
Today, we are at the next stage of that journey: we are announcing that the future of Internet Explorer on Windows 10 is in Microsoft Edge.
The writing was on the wall for IE in August 2020 when Microsoft [2]announced it would cut support for the venerable browser.
According to [3]StatCounter fewer than one per cent of of browser users still bother with IE. But Microsoft says Edge has a built-in “IE mode” to access legacy IE-based websites and applications for those who just can't let go.
Microsoft cited three reasons for the change – improved compatibility, streamlined productivity, and better browser security. Basically, the company acknowledged times and the Internet have changed; it doesn’t want people to have to use two different browsers so they’ve consolidated down to Edge; and IE couldn’t handle the roughly 579 password attacks occurring every second.
[4]
[5]
[6]
The company recommends if you are still using IE that you transition before June 15, 2022.
[7]Microsoft sheds some light on perplexing Outlook blank email incident: Word was to blame
[8]Fire up that Macintosh II: Retro techhead gives the web a Netscape 1.1 makeover
[9]Microsoft and Google, sitting in a tree, working on browser compatibility
[10]Ghost of Microsoft's Legacy Edge browser will linger as the default on Surface Hubs after April execution for desktops
Announcing IE's death probably won't make for a seismic shift in the browser market, which according to StatCounter is dominated by Google's Chrome. Even if all of IE's users adopt Edge, the latter browser would only just edge past Firefox's 3.59 percent market share and land in third place. By way of comparison, Samsung's browser has 3.3 per cent market share, and it mostly ships on Galaxy devices. Microsoft, of course, has around 400 million PCs a year packing Edge to advance its cause.
When Microsoft launched IE in 1995 it was able to use its PC dominance to vanquish browser pioneer Netscape. But the software was seldom elegant and one version, IE 6.0, was a security nightmare of such proportions that Microsoft actively campaigned for its removal. By the time Firefox became more useful, and Google launched Chrome, users had very good reason to seek alternatives.
And seek them they did: Chrome now enjoys over 60 per cent market share, and Microsoft uses the same Chromium browser engine in Edge. ®
Get our [11]Tech Resources
[1] https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2021/05/19/the-future-of-internet-explorer-on-windows-10-is-in-microsoft-edge/
[2] https://www.theregister.com/2020/08/18/microsoft_internet_explorer_support_deadline/
[3] https://gs.statcounter.com/
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2YKYzPOhZr8N663o9ekNvnAAAANc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YKYzPOhZr8N663o9ekNvnAAAANc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33YKYzPOhZr8N663o9ekNvnAAAANc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2021/05/17/outlook_incident_report/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2021/04/12/retro_frogfind/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2021/03/23/compat2021/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2021/02/19/legacy_edge_surface_hub/
[11] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Can I have the first dance?
Goodbye Internet Exploder, you won't be missed.
Lets nuke it from space, its the only way to make sure
IE has probably caused me more work over the years to maintain browser compatibility. The only reason it will be missed is that there are still some sites that only seem to work properly in IE, so it was an unwelcome, but important tool. It was basically the dog pooh bag of the world. You didn't want to have it, using it was messy, but it was a bit better than the alternative
You can say the same about Chrome now.
Some sites only work properly with it as the idiot designers don't test anything else, and it comes with Google's prying eyes screwing privacy as well. Not to mention Google using its near-monopoly ability to push through changes that no one really needs beyond Google's own agenda (idiot-brain things like activeX USB and native file system access, for example).
Meet the new boss browser, same as the old boss browser...
That's great. Now, how about the many application vendors stuck in IE update their stuff to work in anything that actually is supported?
I'm particularly thinking of SAP, that mandatory corporate app that doesn't play nice (at least not in the implementation I'm subjected to) with anything but IE.
I have one application like that, will only work with ie. Because it's old and other browsers are too secure.
Forcing that change won't be a bad thing.
Really? Really???
"And seek them they did: Chrome now enjoys over 60 per cent market share..."
Surely if it were just a case of "seeking" then surely the market shares of Chome, Firefox and other browsers would be much closer to each other?
Or is the runaway success of Chrome something to do with Google plastering great big "Download Chrome!" calls to action in very visible locations on their search landing and results pages???
Once again, Google abusing their monopoly on web search to undercut their competitors, just like the numerous adverts for Pixel phones on Youtube videos...
Why don't Microsoft just restrict IE to intranet-only sites. This would help with all the old corporate systems that still need it, but aren't actually a security risk because they're just internal.
Edge's IE mode is just Internet explorer running in an Edge tab, so while you won't be able to directly run IE after MS remove it from Windows 10. Its still there lurking on your PC.
It makes sense
It's always good practise to get rid of redundant cruft. Now MS only have one inadequate browser to support.
Still Prevalent Within the NHS
Many major clinical systems in the NHS still require IE. I'm quite sure that this date, much like EOL for Windows XP and 7, will be ignored, then come as a surprise when it happens. At best that will necessitate a knee jerk reaction to hire expensive contract resource to purge it from the estate, at worst it will be another Wannacry. Either way nobody will take responsibility, and the purchasing of new technical debt will continue to line up the next disaster.
Re: Still Prevalent Within the NHS
Edge with IE-requiring URLs whitelisted is the way forward, then they will still effectively be running in IE 11
Still a requirement for migrating to office 365
Well. The last couple of migrations from on-prem ad/exchange to an office 365 domain required me to use Internet explorer as part of that process. Otherwise it would not have been possible no matter what I tried via Edge or Chrome. This is on 2012R2 and Server 2008R2 too. So even Microsoft themselves are still getting it wrong never mind third party systems!
I’ll start digging the grave
Bring a shovel and form an orderly queue!