Microsoft will end support for Internet Explorer versions 8, 9 and 10 next week (January 12, 2016). The last upgrade for each of the versions will be a patch that will offer messages that will encourage users to transition to another browser. The final patch will also mean that no further security updates will be provided for Internet Explorer – a risky move that backfired on Microsoft with Windows XP.
Inevitably at a substantial core of users will continue with Internet Explorer, meaning computers might be accessible by hackers who exploit the browsers’ vulnerabilities. Users can upgrade to Internet Explorer 11, but this itself is the final version of Internet Explorer. Microsoft will encourage users to transition to Windows 10 and the Microsoft Edge which is native to the new version of Windows.
Version 11 of Internet Explorer really brings an end of an era on the Internet. Microsoft first released the browser in on August 16, 1995 when it competed with the likes of Netscape – the Internet’s original mainstream browser. Between 2002 and 2003 it had 95% of the market but beyond then began to meet competition from browsers like Firefox, Google Chrome, Opera and Safari.
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