Microsoft has finally announced that it will put Internet Explorer out to pasture when Windows 10 launches. All they need to do now is come up with a name for its replacement.
Let's be honest, there's not a huge amount wrong with Internet Explorer these days. And even if there is, Firefox and Chrome are just as bad in their own way. So while Microsoft's decision to kill off the name "Internet Explorer" is sad, it's also not that much of a surprise. After all, post-IE6 its name has more or less been mud.
Speaking at Microsoft's "Convergence" event Chris Capossela, CMO for Microsoft, suggested that the new version of IE, known as Project Spartan, would not entirely replace the old browser. Instead, Windows 10 would have both, with IE being used for fallback where compatibility was needed.
Meanwhile there's a suggestion that it will only be in certain versions of Windows 10 that IE will remain, but that will probably only apply to the Enterprise editions, where some business users might have "mission critical" apps that rely on IE to operate.
What's in a name?
Apparently testing has already been done on some names, but when Microsoft asked Chrome users what name they liked best, they usually opted for one that had "Microsoft" at the start.
So the new browser might be called Microsoft Spartan, or something similar. Clearly the Microsoft brand carries some weight behind it, and it's not all negative, which is good to know.
It's also worth remembering that the move away from IE might have some benefits for Microsoft's cross-device strategy. For one thing, the new browser might work on Windows Phone, Windows 10 and Xbox One. This move to one set of code is something everyone should be very excited about, not just for the new browser but for apps in general.
For more on what to expect with Windows 10, why not check our our review of the Technical Preview.
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