Microsoft is actively developing Windows 10 in preparation for its release in summer 2015.
Rumors are flying all over the place about Windows 10. This week, the biggest rumor was that Microsoft is currently developing a new internet browser specifically for Windows 10.
This browser is reportedly called Spartan, which may be more than just a code name: Microsoft may be sick and tired of trying to “re-brand” the Internet Explorer name. Instead of trying to convince users that Internet Explorer is a legitimate, modern browser, Microsoft may just decide to release a similar browser on a different name.
This news comes from world-famous Microsoft insider Mary Jo Foley, who writes for All About Microsoft over at ZDNet.com.

“A Lightweight Alternative” to Internet Explorer

The browser is reportedly being designed as a lightweight alternative to Internet Explorer. It’s so lightweight, in fact, that people are saying it’s being jointly designed for mobile devices and will release on iOS and Android long before Windows 10 is actually released.

When asked a few months ago, members of the Microsoft team reportedly said that they had no plans to bring Internet Explorer to non-Windows operating systems.
Spartan, however, isn’t technically Internet Explorer. In that case, mobile plans may be alive and well.
I find it funny that Microsoft is so in love with the Halo franchise that it has now named two major platforms off of the franchise: first we had Cortana, and now we have “Spartan”.

What’s the World’s Most Popular Browser?

If someone asked you what the world’s most popular browser was, you’d be tempted to say Chrome. However, most numbers – including Net Applications – report that Microsoft’s Internet Explorer is still the browser of choice for more people around the world than any other browser.

Currently, Microsoft holds a 58% share of the world’s browser user base – and that number held steady throughout all of 2014, even climbing .73% between January and November 2014.
Chrome, however, is on the rise and reached a peak usage of 21.25% in October 2014, up from 16.35% in January 2014. It still has a long way to go before it reaches IE levels of market share, however.
Is Spartan really the end of Internet Explorer as we know it? Or is it just another code name for Internet Explorer 12? We’ll have to wait to find out.
In any case, Microsoft’s new browser project is intriguing.