Microsoft is scrapping Internet Explorer and will shift focus to its Edge browser

Microsoft will be pulling the plug on its main browser, the Internet Explorer. Starting next year, it will be replaced by an upgraded Edge browser as the company prepares to compete with the dominant Google’s Chrome.

Microsoft’s Internet Explorer was first launched in 1995 and it immediately became the most popular and most-used browser on the internet. It remained no. 1 and managed to remain dominant for more than a decade since it always comes as a bundle with Microsoft’s Windows OS or operating system.

The decline of Microsoft’s browser

However, Internet Explorer started to lose its popularity as people began shifting to Google’s Chrome. It was faster and offered more than simple browsing so, in the late 2000s, it became apparent that Chrome has overtaken Microsoft’s browser.

People have complained of Internet Explorer’s sluggishness and this was what mainly drove them to change their browser. Compared to the other available browsers, the public has ranked Microsoft’s IE as the slowest in the batch.

Thus, in the end, IE lost a lot of users and continued to lose more in recent years. Now, Microsoft said that it will be pulling it out for good.

Microsoft to release a more competitive browser

As per Reuters, the tech company will be focusing on its Edge browser that was introduced in 2015. Microsoft is prepared to boost Edge’s power so it can compete with Google’s Chrome.

It was noted that Edge is running on the same technology being used in Google’s browser so it is not surprising if the newly-improved Microsoft browser would attract new users. This is especially true since it is possible that some users are not satisfied with Chrome.

Microsoft may also come up with new technology to make its Edge browser irresistible so the reigning top browsers should always be on their toes. Chrome and Apple’s Safari are said to have the biggest market share today according to analytics.

“Over the last year, you may have noticed our movement away from Internet Explorer (“IE”) support, such as an announcement of the end of IE support by Microsoft 365 online services,” Microsoft said in a statement. “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.”