The Decline of Internet Explorer: A Cautionary Tale

Internet Explorer, once the dominant web browser, has seen its support come to an end on June 15, 2022. This development may be a shock to some Japanese businesses that had procrastinated in updating their websites, with a staggering 49% still relying on the outdated browser.

Microsoft's decision to retire Internet Explorer in favor of Edge was announced as early as May 2021. The company provided detailed support resources, including step-by-step tutorials, forums, FAQ pages, and direct help. However, it seems that some companies were too invested in Microsoft's cool-aid during the browser wars and built products that only IE would ever support.

Internet Explorer's demise began when Microsoft released Microsoft Edge for Windows 10 in 2015, deprecating Internet Explorer for Windows. And with the advent of M1-based Macs, it's even more evident that Internet Explorer is dead on the Mac platform.

The browser's popularity had already begun to wane due to feature bloat and poor performance, with Internet Explorer 6 for Windows falling out of favor in web usage. Microsoft announced that Internet Explorer would no longer be supported on Macs, with the last version released for Mac OS X being Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.2.1 on July 11, 2003.

The rise of Chrome and Safari had already begun to erode Internet Explorer's global market share since 2012, with Firefox also losing ground. Apple introduced its own Safari web browser in January 2003 to replace Internet Explorer on Mac OS X, a move that ultimately helped the company recover from bankruptcy after Microsoft invested $150 million in non-voting stock.

For those still using Internet Explorer, it's time to make the switch to Microsoft Edge or another more modern browser. Simply select the Settings option and choose your PC, then launch the Microsoft Edge browser to begin exploring the safer and more secure web.

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