There's a good chance that you can't remember the last time you deliberately and knowingly opened up Internet Explorer, but you may be surprised to learn that Microsoft does still support it. However, the Redmond tech company is changing that and announced a final cutoff date for Internet Explorer support.
Microsoft's Announcement for Internet Explorer's Future
You'd be forgiven for thinking that Microsoft had ended support for Internet Explorer 11 (IE11) years ago, but somehow it's still on Microsoft's radar. Now, the tech giant is finally putting it to bed after 25 years of total service.
Microsoft made its announcement on Windows Blogs. As you might expect, Microsoft is opting to instead invest all of its energy into its Chromium-based browser, Microsoft Edge. And given all the fantastic features Microsoft has added to Edge already, it's hard to justify keeping Internet Explorer 11 around.
However, if you're still in love with the big blue "e," you still have some time to say your goodbyes. Microsoft will end IE11 support for its 365 services on August 17, 2021. After that, you have until June 15, 2022, to jump ship before Microsoft retires IE11.
Microsoft justifies its decision by comparing IE11 to the new Microsoft Edge, but the latter is such a huge improvement that it's like justifying turning mud into solid gold. The new Microsoft Edge is faster, more compatible with modern-day technologies and extensions, a productivity powerhouse, and a lot safer than IE11.
In fact, it was Internet Explorer's demise in the public eye that inspired Microsoft to create Edge in the first place. The first version of Edge used Microsoft-based code, but in a world versus Chromium-based browsers, it struggled. Then, Microsoft adopted Chromium, and everything suddenly went very well for the browser.
As such, if you're still on IE11, now is a fantastic time to make the jump to Chromium Edge. Not only will it last a lot longer, but it's a good deal faster and more secure too.
Nothing Left to Explore for Internet Explorer
In a world that has mostly moved on from Internet Explorer, Microsoft is finally setting a deadline for when the browser is put to rest. It's been a long time coming, but given how good the new Chromium Edge is, it's hard to justify keeping IE11 around any longer.
If you're still turning your nose up at the concept of using Microsoft Edge, it's worth giving it at least a small try. Right now, we're in an era where comparing Microsoft's browser to Google Chrome doesn't immediately end in a decisive victory for the latter.
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