Jim salter
Microsoft officially ended support for the older (non-Chromium-derived) Edge browser this week. The death of Legacy Edge was first announced in August 2020, with the end of life date set for March 9, 2021, on Tuesday.
The outdated version of Edge, originally named Project Spartan, was developed and shipped as Windows 10’s default browser in 2015. Unlike the current Chromium-based Edge, it didn’t have a live project. upstream – the entire browser, up to and including the renderer, was a design by Microsoft.
Despite being the default browser for Windows 10, Spartan never achieved significant market share, let alone the overwhelming dominance once exerted by Internet Explorer. According to GlobalStats, Legacy Edge peaked at well below 2.5% market share – less than, say, Opera. On the other hand, and despite its relative newborn status, Chrome-based Edge has already reached 3.4%, approaching the 3.8% of Firefox, which fell sharply in February 2021.
Windows Update is expected to automatically remove Legacy Edge on the Tuesday of next month’s patch. If you have family members or coworkers who need a little “extra support” – who are still reliant on Legacy Edge, maybe now is the time to check them out and hold your hand before the old beast won’t disappear forever.