One of the reasons why Microsoft has done so well in the enterprise space is the long support cycles for its software. Windows XP, which was finally put to rest earlier this year, was supported by the company for over a decade. And every so often, Microsoft updates the world on when it will end support for some products; the company has recently announced that IE 8 will no longer be supported after the first Patch Tuesday in 2016.
This means that starting January 13th, 2016, Microsoft will no longer issue patches for the browser and based on usage statistics, the impact will be quite large as Ed Bott notes that over 20% of browsing on the web is done with IE 8 for desktop users. That's a large percentage of the IE user base that will soon have to migrate from the aging platform to a more modern browser.
Opera 36 will be the last for Windows XP and Vista by Martin Brinkmann on February 17, 2016 in Opera - 43 comments Opera Software announced yesterday that Opera 36 will be the last version of the web browser for Windows XP and Windows Vista, and that all future versions of Opera would only run on newer versions of Windows starting with Windows 7.
Supported Browsers in 2016
On Windows 7, starting in 2016, you will have to be running IE 11 to still receive updates from Microsoft. For those on Vista, IE 9 will still be supported and while Microsoft doesn't explicitly say, IE 9 will likely be the last supported browser on the platform as it will hit EOL in a few short years.
Microsoft always wants to push users to use their updated software as it is more secure and offers enhancements that improve the browsing experience. The company knows that this is not always possible, mostly in the enterprise space, as new software can render older software incompatible and force the company to either stay with an old browser (the cheaper option) or upgrade the incompatible platforms.
Consider this announcement your first warning that IE 8 for older platforms will be going away in the near future and it's time to start making preparations to upgrade rather than waiting until the last minute and begging Microsoft to extend the deadline.
Source: Microsoft | Thanks for the tip Zlip792
Let's face it, updating your computer software is a chore. That little dialogue box never appears at a good time, it's always when you're right in the middle of doing something. So you keep putting it off, and putting it off, until before you know it, you're years out of date.
But there's a real price to pay. Not only will you miss out on the latest features, you won't have the latest security updates either, meaning your system could be easy prey for hackers. Here, we're focussing on which web browsers are and aren't supported on Windows XP and Windows Vista (both of which operating systems are no longer supported by Microsoft).
Be warned - if you're using one that's not supported, you're putting your computer's security at risk!
Windows XP
Internet Explorer 8: Not supported for XP.
Internet Explorer 9: Not supported for XP.
Internet Explorer 10: Not supported for XP.
Internet Explorer 11: Not supported for XP.
Firefox: No longer fully supported, though the Firefox extended support release (ESR) does still provide security updates only. This will end in June 2018.
Opera: Version 36 is the last supported version for XP, but the company says it will continue to offer security patches.
Lunascape: Supported as long as you’re running Service Pack 1 (SP1) or later.
Google Chrome: No longer supported.
Windows Vista
Internet Explorer 8: Not supported for Vista.
Internet Explorer 9: Supported, as long as you are running Service Pack 2 (SP2).
Internet Explorer 10: Not supported by Vista
Internet Explorer 11: Not supported by Vista
Firefox: No longer fully supported, though the Firefox extended support release (ESR) does still provide security updates only. This will end in June 2018.
Opera: Version 36 is the last supported version for Vista, but the company says it will continue to offer security patches.
Lunascape: Supported and safe to use.
Google Chrome: No longer supported.
How to check which version of Windows you have
Windows XP: Click Start – Run. Type winver and press Enter.
Windows Vista: Click Start and type Computer. Right click and select Properties.
Web browser download links
Internet Explorer 11
Firefox
Firefox is one of the leading web browsers to rival Google Chrome and Internet Explorer. But it's not supported for XP or Vista.
Opera
On older systems Opera warns that “it is likely that it will be less usable”. If Opera fails to start up, unfortunately it won’t work on your system. You can only use Opera 36 on XP and Vista.
Lunascape
Lunascape is one of the lesser known web browsers, but is a reliable alternative that is supported on Windows XP and Windows Vista.