What began as a small rumor has now become a full-fledged announcement. Microsoft unveiled the consumer preview of Windows 10 and, during the official presentation, revealed some high-profile details. Among them is Project Spartan, which many already regard as the definitive replacement for Internet Explorer and Redmond's new vision for web browsers.
The Decline of Internet Explorer
Yes, I have Internet Explorer installed. No, I don't use it often. The only exceptions are those tragic sites that, for some dark reason akin to voodoo magic, I can't open properly in Firefox or Chrome. Sooner or later, we all come across such sites, and some people prefer to ignore them rather than launch Internet Explorer. How did it reach this level of rejection? Let's say Internet Explorer suffers from the 'Vista syndrome,' which has persisted for years.
In 2003, Internet Explorer dominated more than 95% of the market. But with that dominance came stagnation, bringing security and stability problems that became even more serious in later versions, while the competition focused on evolving. The latest stable version of Internet Explorer is 11.0.15. The end may seem far off for the browser, but after Microsoft's latest announcement, there's no doubt it has begun.
Project Spartan and Its Features
For now, its codename is Project Spartan. The first rumors about a new browser that would serve as an escort to Internet Explorer appeared in December, but Project Spartan made its debut alongside the Consumer Preview of Windows 10. Today we can say that Spartan will be the primary browser of that operating system, and it will feature three functions that aim to bring it on par with the rest. The first is the ability to take notes and add comments on a web page, share that content with other users, and sync it through OneDrive.
The second feature, and probably the most relevant, is the integration of Cortana. In short, Windows 10 will offer Cortana on the desktop, and the assistant fits into Spartan perfectly. The third feature is the so-called 'reading mode,' something other browsers have incorporated with extensions, except for Safari, which has it natively.
It's also worth mentioning its 'new' rendering engine (in quotes because it appears to be a fork of Trident) and the integrated PDF viewer. However, the rumor about extension support remains exactly that—a rumor.
Unfortunately, Project Spartan will not be available in the next preview of Windows 10. To be honest, Microsoft left many details about the browser under wraps, making us think they used a very basic prototype during the presentation. It is expected to appear "in the coming months," and not a few believe it will change its name, although similar things were said about Cortana at the time.
