Microsoft says that Internet Explorer won't be killed

Mar 25, 2015 06:53 GMT  ·  By

Microsoft confirmed at its event in Redmond on January 21 that Windows 10 would launch with another browser, internally codenamed Spartan, and everyone rushed to assume that Internet Explorer, the app that has been around for more than 20 years, would finally be killed when the new OS becomes available.

While since then Microsoft has more or less remained tight-lipped on its plans for Spartan and Internet Explorer in Windows 10, the company now says that Internet Explorer won't get the ax in the new operating system but will instead be offered as an alternative.

The reason is as simple as it could be: Internet Explorer will be there just in case something goes wrong, but Spartan will become the default browser and will be offered to all users who want a faster and more powerful browsing experience in Windows 10.

Unchanged from Windows 8.1

In a statement released today, Microsoft says that the very same version of Internet Explorer 11 that's currently available in Windows 8.1 will continue to be offered in Windows 10, so no new features, no new options, no new visual tweaks, and no other improvements will be added.

This should make Spartan the top choice for the majority of Windows 10 adopters, but at the same time, it will help companies and organizations worldwide tackle any issues that might arise because of the new browsing engine with Internet Explorer, which will be offered as a backup.

“Based on strong feedback from our Windows Insiders and customers, today we’re announcing that on Windows 10, Project Spartan will host our new engine exclusively. Internet Explorer 11 will remain fundamentally unchanged from Windows 8.1, continuing to host the legacy engine exclusively,” the company explains.

Windows 10 will debut with the new Spartan browser in the second half of 2015, but a Technical Preview build coming with a testing flavor of the application is expected to launch next month for users enrolled in the Windows Insider program.