There have been some rumours floating around this week that Microsoft has killed Internet Explorer. But, those rumours aren’t entirely true. Microsoft’s Chris Capossela made some comments at the Microsoft Convergence event this week that made it sound like Internet Explorer would no longer be supported by the company.

However, the truth is quite different.

Not Dead Just Pushed

All of the confusion began when Microsoft announced a new browser for Windows 10 codenamed ‘Spartan.’ Even though Spartan is Microsoft’s shiny new browser for Windows 10, it is not meant to replace Explorer. Microsoft has confirmed that the company will, in fact, continue to support Explorer for enterprises and for anyone that wants the support for the older browser.

So while Internet Explorer might be brushed aside to make room for Spartan, it’s by no means dead. Microsoft will continue to support Explorer, and the many people that still like and use this browser. It also stands to reason that Internet Explorer isn’t as bad as most people seem to think that it is. In fact, a number of people took to Twitter (including some celebrities) to protest what they thought was the end of Explorer. That goes to show that Microsoft still has plenty of Explorer fans.

Not So Bad

The current version of Internet Explorer isn’t as bad as many people make it seem. In fact, it has a lot of the same features as the more popular Chrome does, and it functions quite well. While Internet Explorer tends to get a lot of bad press based on earlier version of the browser that weren’t so excellent, the current version is decent all around.

The major things that the current version of Internet Explorer lacks are things like the ability to sign into Explorer from any browser, and you can’t get the same consistency from Explorer that you can get from Chrome.

Even with those small drawbacks, though, Explorer as it currently exists is a great browser. Not excellent, but solid enough for people to protest the browser’s possible demise. But the browser isn’t going anywhere - not yet. Spartan will come, and Microsoft will continue to support Explorer. That’s the truth of the matter.

A Poor Reputation

One of the main reasons why many people may prefer Chrome over Explorer is that Explorer has been around since the 1990s, and hasn’t always been excellent. Many years ago, Explorer was the default browser, and it happened to ship with nearly every device available. But nobody likes it when a device comes loaded with anything - browser or otherwise, so this may be where Internet Explorer got its bad name.

Once Explorer began to crash in a bad way, people simply got sick of it and switched to the more appealing Chrome. A few - maybe more than a few - still like Explorer and use it, which is Microsoft isn’t killing Explorer. So push those rumours aside if you are an Explorer fan, and take comfort in knowing that the famed browser isn’t going anywhere. Spartan will appear shortly, but nothing is going to take the place of Explorer. Not yet.