Microsoft Edge: The Successor to Internet Explorer

In November 2019, Microsoft Edge finally overtook its predecessor, Internet Explorer, in terms of market share. Although Internet Explorer was once the most widely used web browser, its usage share has been declining steadily since the launch of Firefox (2004) and Google Chrome (2008). The growing popularity of mobile operating systems such as Android and iOS, which do not support Internet Explorer, also contributed to its decline.

Internet Explorer was first released in 1995 as part of the add-on package Plus! for Windows 95. It quickly gained popularity and became the dominant browser in the 1990s. At one point, it had a peak usage share of 95% by 2003. However, Microsoft discontinued new feature development for Internet Explorer in 2016 and replaced it with its successor, Microsoft Edge.

Microsoft spent heavily on Internet Explorer, with over US$100 million per year allocated to the project in the late 1990s. The company also employed over 1,000 people to work on the browser by 1999. Later versions of Internet Explorer were available as free downloads or included in service packs and OEM releases of Windows.

Although Internet Explorer has been retired on most Windows editions, it still remains supported on certain editions of Windows, such as Windows 10 LTSB/LTSC. The browser's market share continues to decline, with estimates suggesting that it accounts for around 0.25% of all browser usage across all platforms in 2023.

In summary, Microsoft Edge has finally surpassed Internet Explorer in terms of market share, marking the end of an era for the once-dominant web browser.

Pdf expert license key mac