Microsoft nearly axed Internet Explorer to slay "negative perceptions"

Microsoft has admitted that it deliberated rebranding Internet Explorer to combat “negative perceptions” – with a future rebrand not out of the question.

Microsoft engineer, Jonathon Sampson, claims that the tech giant has explored the option of changing the name of its internet browser during a Reddit question and answer session.

One user, asianorange asked “[have] you ever consider[ed] rebranding and changing the name of Internet Explorer?”

Sampson replied: “It’s been suggested internally; I remember a particularly long email thread where numerous people were passionately debating it. Plenty of ideas get kicked around about how we can separate ourselves from negative perceptions that no longer reflect our product today.”

He added: “The discussion I recall seeing was a very recent one (just a few weeks ago). Who knows what the future holds.”

Sampson suggests that for most people the decision to not use Internet Explorer “is largely based on experiences from a decade ago, and a much different IE.”

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