Internet Explorer 8, 9 and 10 no longer supported
From last Tuesday [12 January], Microsoft has discontinued support for Internet Explorer versions 8, 9 and 10. Security issues and susceptibility to hacking attacks have rendered the three browsers obsolete. This leaves IE11 as the only browser from the Internet Explorer stable to retain support. Edge now succeeds IE, with Windows 10 being the first operating system to support the new browser.
IE11 will remain as a legacy browser for Windows 7, 8 and 8.1 operating systems. Windows users who have yet to download Edge or IE11 will receive nagging messages from their computer, compelling them to upgrade. Furthermore, Microsoft is offering Windows 10 upgrades for free, so long as you have a non-enterprise edition of Windows 7, 8 or 8.1.
According to latest figures from Net Market Share (December 2015), 55.7% of the world’s PCs use Windows 7. This compares with 10.9% for Windows XP, 10% for Windows 10, 10.3% for Windows 8.1, and 2.8% for Windows 8.
Does Edge and Internet Explorer 11 still matter?
For web developers, most definitely! Firstly, there will be a number of Windows PC users who still use Windows 7, 8 or 8.1. In the context of responsive web design, this also matters for the Windows Phone version of the Edge browser. In the UK, a Windows Phone based smartphone can be a budget alternative to Android and iOS devices.
At the moment, there is only minimal market share with many users, on downloading the browser either going to an older version, or seeking non-Microsoft alternatives like Chrome.
What about support for apps?
Whereas Apple’s user base and the open architecture of Android allows for wide support, Windows Phone users seem to have been stuck in the bus lane. Things are picking up with better support for official apps and integration between Windows Phone and Windows 10.
To download Internet Explorer 11 onto your PC (Windows 7 upwards), click on this link.
Net66, 14 January 2016.
