RIP Internet Explorer – Why the once most popular browser is now buried

Browser War: The Fall of the Netcape Navigator

First, let’s take a look back at history: When Internet Explorer came onto the market in 1995, it first had to contend with an overwhelming competitor. At the time, Netscape Navigator was the most widely used browser in the world, with a market share of over 80 percent.

In the so-called browser war from 1995 to 1998 However, Internet Explorer successfully asserted itself against its opponent. At the turn of the millennium, its market share was already 75 percent, and it peaked in 2003 with a market share of over 94 percent. Check out the following video of the most popular browsers from 1993 to 2022:

link to YouTube content

Until 2012, Internet Explorer was able to maintain its supremacy over other browsers such as Firefox and Safari. This was sometimes due to a practice by Microsoft that even called the antitrust authorities on the scene. The Redmond company delivered Internet Explorer as the standard browser with Windows, which was a thorn in the side of the competition watchdog – but without consequences. From around 2004 onwards, however, the market share gradually decreased. Year after year, Internet Explorer lost more of its once great lead.

Edge wasn’t a wish, it was a necessity

The fact that Google Chrome took the lead in 2012 was largely due to Microsoft’s indolence and negligence. The company failed to adapt Internet Explorer to the latest web standards on several occasions. Certain websites simply could not be displayed. In addition, Internet Explorer repeatedly had serious security gaps. A gap that Google was only too happy to and, above all, successfully filled with Chrome.

By the time Microsoft realized its mistake and tried to revive Internet Explorer, it was far too late. In 2015 the ripcord was pulled and a new standard browser was implemented in Windows with Edge. Interestingly, it is based on the code that Google also uses for Chrome and is now in second place worldwide.

What do you think of the end of Internet Explorer? And what memories do you have of Microsoft’s once most popular browser? Feel free to write it in the comments!