As Microsoft’s new operating system Windows 10 nears its launch more rumors have begun circulating about the expected software. One of the very strong rumors is that Windows 10 will come with a web browser that is not Internet Explorer.

ZDNet’s Mary Jo Foley reveals that sources at Microsoft that Windows 10 will come with two web browsers: the haggard Internet Explorer and a new one codenamed Spartan. Instead of bringing an Internet Explorer 12, as was expected, IE 11 will return along with the new browser.

Spartan, Foley’s sources say, will be different and more similar to Google Chrome or Firefox. She first heard about the potential new browser from Thomas Nigro, a Microsoft Student Partner lead and developer of the modern version of VLC, who tweeted about it.

Foley’s sources then revealed the new browser would still use Microsoft’s Chakra JavaScript engine and Trident rendering engine.

Citing sources. Foley writes: “Windows 10 (at least the desktop version) will ship with both Spartan and IE 11…IE 11 will be there for backward-compatibility's sake. Spartan will be available for both desktop and mobile (phone/tablet) versions of Windows 10, sources say.”

It would be interesting to see if Microsoft does release a new web browser. As Ars Technica points out, Internet Explorer turns twenty next year and they have not been good, for the most.

NetMarketShare.com reports that Internet Explorer remains the top web browser in the world, despite its problems, holding at around 58 percent. However, Chrome has been climbing throughout the year from 16 to 20 percent.