If you are still using Internet Explorer as your default browser, you may want to reconsider your choice. Microsoft has announced that it will retire Internet Explorer 11 on June 15, 2022 and replace it with Microsoft Edge, its newest and most modern browser. This means that Internet Explorer will no longer receive security updates, bug fixes and technical support from Microsoft, and some websites and online services may no longer function properly.
¿Por qué Microsoft hace esto? Según la empresa, Internet Explorer es un navegador heredado que fue diseñado para una era diferente de la web. No es compatible con muchos de los últimos estándares y tecnologÃas web, como HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript ES6 y WebAssembly. Estos son esenciales para crear experiencias web ricas e interactivas que los usuarios esperan hoy. Además, Internet Explorer tiene fama de ser lento, inseguro e incompatible con muchos sitios web.
Microsoft Edge, on the other hand, is a modern browser built on the same engine as Google Chrome, the world’s most popular browser. It supports the latest web standards and technologies and offers faster performance, better security and more features than Internet Explorer. For example, it has an integrated PDF reader, a password manager, a dark mode and a collections feature that lets you organize your web content. It also has an IE mode that allows you to access legacy websites that require Internet Explorer without leaving Edge.
How will this affect you? If you are still using Internet Explorer as your default browser, you will need to switch to Microsoft Edge or another browser by June 15, 2022. Otherwise, you will risk exposing your PC to security threats and losing access to some websites and online services. Microsoft will automatically redirect you to Edge when you try to open Internet Explorer after the retirement date. You can also download Edge from the Microsoft website and import your bookmarks, passwords and other settings from Internet Explorer.
If you use Internet Explorer for specific purposes, such as accessing legacy websites or applications that require it, you can still use Edge’s IE mode to do so. IE Mode is a feature that allows you to open a tab in Edge running in Internet Explorer 11 compatibility mode. This way, you can enjoy the benefits of Edge while still accessing content that requires Internet Explorer. You can learn more about IE mode and how to enable it here.
Microsoft’s decision to retire Internet Explorer is a long-awaited move that will benefit both users and web developers. It will improve the security, performance and compatibility of the Web browsing experience and encourage the adoption of modern Web standards and technologies. It will also simplify the development process and reduce the costs of maintaining multiple versions of websites for different browsers. If you haven’t yet switched to Edge or another modern browser, now is the time to do so.
MICROSOFT’S INTERNET EXPLORER was finally retired. Or at least it was given a dignified farewell. The 27-year-old browser had long been plagued by performance and security issues, and Microsoft had fully embraced its Edge browser. (Although most of the world had switched to Google Chrome).
Microsoft officially discontinued the obsolete IE last year, although its legacy still remains on Windows PCs around the world. In an effort to clean up the traces, Microsoft has begun automatically removing instances of Internet Explorer from users’ computers. A software update for the Edge browser that began rolling out this week will permanently disable Internet Explorer 11 on any Windows computer that still has it installed.
In a way, it’s a fitting end. Microsoft had a tendency to integrate Internet Explorer into just about everything, to the point that the practice triggered a federal antitrust lawsuit against the company in 1998. Going in and forcibly removing software feels like a characteristically assertive end of the cycle.
Of course, nothing really goes away, and the fragmented remnants of Internet Explorer will persist in one form or another. Visual elements of the browser, such as its icons and shortcuts, will remain on desktops until a Windows update due later this year also removes them, and Microsoft says it will support some basic Internet Explorer compatibility features within the Edge browser until 2029.
