Internet Explorer (IE) by Microsoft is a classic web browser released as an add-on to Windows 95 during that very same year. Originally, as one of the most widely used web browsers, with a peak of 95% market share by 2003, its only main rival was Netscape.
In more recent years we have seen the likes of Firefox and Chrome take over the reins and fast become the leaders in web browsing.
But IE works fine on my PC?
Yes, you can still use IE on your PC, but have you ever noticed websites looking like they’ve not been built well? Links are broken and images are not quite fitting in the layout you would expect to see. Over the years, IE has been subject to a number of bugs, performance problems, and most shockingly, security issues. Less than 10% of users are using IE these days.
Here we explain why you should consider upgrading to a new browser.
1. Microsoft no longer supports older versions of IE.
The creators of IE, Microsoft, stopped supporting versions 7, 8, 9 and 10 in January 2016. That means this will no longer be updated with patches or security updates, making your previous PC more vulnerable to viruses and malware. No more patches mean no more fixes to the software, so these versions will never get any better.
Officially, Microsoft still supports the latest version of IE11, however, this was released way back in October 2013. It’s not a new browser by any means. They suggest on their website’s support page to upgrade to their new browser, Microsoft Edge.
2. Websites don’t appear as they should!
Website designers spend many hours crafting code that makes a website look pleasing to the eye and attracts more traffic for their clients. Web browsers then take the code and interpret that to visually display the website. Most of them will do this in the same, if not a similar way, by complying with W3C web standards – but not Internet Explorer.
Your company’s website may look great on your web browser, but your clients may be looking at it from an older, less compliant browser meaning that your website could be displaying completely differently, showing information in the wrong places.
To battle this, web developers often have to write extra code just for IE users to make sure that this doesn’t happen and that’s not always a solid solution. It’s also not good on cost, paying extra for development that shouldn’t really be necessary.
3. It slows you down
Users will stop visiting sites if they take more than 4 seconds to load, 25% of users actually.
Even the latest version of IE isn’t quite up to the benchmark when compared with more modern browsers.
www.toptenreviews.com mentioned IE – “It takes longer to load full pages and navigate between sites than with other browsers.”
I’m not sure what browser I am using…
Head over to www.whatismybrowser.com and that will tell you the browser and version you’re currently using.
Which browser should I use?
There are some really good choices for web browsers, your choice should be down to what operating system you’re using as well as what features you most want to get out of it. The most popular options today are Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Microsoft Edge.
It couldn’t be simpler to change over. Click one of the download links below, follow the steps and let it do the work for you.
Chrome
Being the most widely-used browser, it’s a solid, reliable choice. It’s fast and works on pretty much any device. It supports a ton of different extensions and customisations like ad blockers, password managers, and productivity tools. The trade-off is that it can be more resource-heavy than other browsers.
Works on: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Chrome OS
Firefox
Another solid choice that works on just about any platform. After a major update last year, it’s faster and lighter than ever, making it a great alternative to Chrome. It also features advanced private browsing tools, if you don’t like the feeling of being followed around online.
Works on: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
Safari
Mac and iPhone users are probably very familiar with Safari, with it being Apple’s default browser. Happily, Safari is a fast, competent browser that excels at integrating with various Apple products.
Works on: MacOS, iOS
Microsoft Edge
As mentioned earlier, Edge is Microsoft’s new browser, replacing Internet Explorer. It’s faster, has a nice reading mode, and eliminates many of the problems that IE had over the years. However, It’s not backward compatible with earlier versions of Windows. So if you have anything older than Windows 10, Edge isn’t an option for your PC. Remember too that it’s a Microsoft product, so Bing is the default search engine.
Works on: Windows 10, iOS, Android
To conclude…
Any use of an alternative web browser would be a vast improvement, not just for the performance of a website but also for your PC’s safety, especially if you’re using an older version of IE, you’re subject to bugs, viruses, and security issues.