Microsoft is serious about getting users to move to its latest software releases. Just as it did with Windows XP earlier this year, the Redmond-based company is planning to end support for outdated versions of Internet Explorer in a bid to get everyone on the same page.
After January 12, 2016, only the most recent version of Internet Explorer available for a supported operating system will receive technical support and security updates. For example, anyone running Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 must use Internet Explorer 11 to keep getting updates.
Support for Internet Explorer version 9 will continue for those running Windows Vista SP2 and Windows Server 2008 SP2 while IE10 will remain on life support for those using Windows Server 2012. Internet Explorer 8 will be dropped from Microsoft's support list entirely.
Dropping support for IE8 may not sound like a big deal but it'll affect a lot of people. According to Net Applications, version 8 of Internet Explorer is the mostly widely used browser in the world as it's installed on more than 20 percent of computers with a desktop-style operating system.
StatCounter, meanwhile, reports that six percent of all web traffic originates from those using the five-year-old browser.
Given the news, we're curious what web browser you are running these days. Do you surf the web with Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Internet Explorer, Opera or perhaps some other browser? Let us know in the comments below.