After 25 years of activity, Microsoft will retire its iconic browser to replace it with Microsoft Edge, its more modern and secure version according to the company. Our beloved Internet Explorer (IE), launched in 1995 with Windows 95, and which was the most used browser from late 1998 until late 2012, is leaving us for good.
What is a web browser?
We have it so internalized that we aren’t even aware of it. A web browser is software that allows us to view web pages, interpret their styles (typography, colors, layout of elements…) and execute code locally (usually JavaScript). You might not know it, but if you find a slider or carousel on a website, it is your browser that is responsible for making that module work, as these modules typically use JavaScript (a programming language executed locally) for their operation.
JavaScript has great advantages, namely that it is the visitor’s computer that handles executing the content. This is why many modern programming languages like Angular, Vue, or React are based on JavaScript (in fact, we can consider them JavaScript libraries). Outdated and slow browsers like Internet Explorer have a very hard time trying to load these types of pages.
History of web browsers
Internet Explorer reigned for many years on our computers. Statistics tell us it was the most used browser from late 1998 until late 2012. Only Google Chrome has been able to battle against it and unseat it. In this interesting video uploaded by Capitan Gizmo, we can see the evolution of browsers over time. We can see how, today, Google Chrome is the absolute king, followed at a distance by Mozilla Firefox and Mac’s Safari.
Good news for developers
The truth is that Internet Explorer has always been a difficult browser for web developers. While the vast majority of browsers recognized slightly more complex scripts and styles, Internet Explorer stood out for the opposite, thus complicating the work of all developers.
Special fonts, color gradients, the need to reset CSS… There are so many technical aspects that it can sometimes be overwhelming. Making special versions, patches, and ad hoc programming for IE was common practice (known as cross-browsing). This is why developers gave up on it and the community stopped providing active support.
From Cactus, we say goodbye to Internet Explorer, remembering the great contribution it has made to the world, but, frankly, also a bit relieved not to have to deal with it anymore. Thank you very much, IE!
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