Internet Explorer Gains Browser Market Share Against Firefox, Chrome

CRN ^ | Aug. 02, 2010 | Rob Wright

[SmokingJoe]

Microsoft (NSDQ:MSFT)’s Internet Explorer has staged a comeback in the browser war, reversing a trend of declining market share by posting two consecutive months of usage share gains against chief rivals Firefox and Chrome. For several months, Microsoft had been losing ground in the browser category. According to Web metrics firm Net Applications, Internet Explorer’s usage share numbers had been falling steadily for some time now; in September, IE had 65.71 percent of usage share last September, according to Net Applications, and had fallen all the way to 59.75 percent in May.

But in both June and July, Microsoft’s browser posted modest gains to bounce back to a current usage share of 60.74. “Internet Explorer extended its usage share gains by another .42% in July, gaining about 1% global share since May,” Net Applications’ report stated. “This is the second month in a row of global gains for Internet Explorer and the third straight month of gains for Internet Explorer 8 in the United States.”

Meanwhile, Microsoft’s gains were Google and Mozilla’s losses: both Chrome and Firefox lost ground, according to Net Applications. The declines were small, but coupled with IE’s growth in usage share, the data showed Internet Explorer 8 may be reversing the trend in the browser war for Microsoft.

[SmokingJoe]

The very rapid adaption rates for Windows 7 (with IE 8 as default browser outside of Europe) probably has something to do with this. With most PC’s still running XP, Win 7 market share(and with it, IE users), can only go up.
This {IE 9 preview offers tantalizing look at IE's future} should send IE market share even higher.

[dfwgator]

A lot of people like me actually do have several browsers, for example, I like Chrome because it’s quicker and has some nice features, but it doesn’t work with every site, so for those I fall back on IE.

[nickcarraway]

Chrome rules.

[SmokingJoe]

Not according to market share figures, it doesn’t

[capt. norm]

I agree.

Most of my friends who have recently bought their first PCs use IE by default and wouldn't know what Firefox or Chrome were.

IE definitely has the "Goober" market share.

[HiTech RedNeck]

If Winzigweich would come up with a migrate-procedure to allow jumping from XP to 7 without having to go to Vista first, they’d get even more. Perhaps some private brand migration software does this already.

[arthurus]

Firefox. I keep IE updated because of that occasional time when only IE is acceptable on a site I have to deal with. Every time I use it I am reminded why I don’t use it.

[ColdOne]

I use Firefox and IE. What is this Chrome? good?

[Dallas59]

I use Firefox...because it isn’t IE.

[Retired Greyhound]

Opera. Very stable.

[TomGuy]

I tried out that lastest Firefox (3.6.8, I think it was).

They apparently added all kinds of new crap. I started getting pop-ups and java loading.

I dumped it and went back to 3.6.3.

[TomGuy]

Chrome rules.

I tried the original Chrome beta and didn't care for it. It didn't have enough options and it kept a 'recently viewed' list of websites on the screen.

I haven't looked at more recent additions to see if they are better.

[668 - Neighbor of the Beast]

The honeymoon is over for me & Firefox, so after seeing this thread I went over to Google’s Chrome page. They have some of the dopiest, least informative informational videos I have ever seen anywhere. There’s some kind of loom and a lady playing a harp and there’s a pantograph....and the kind of music you hear in a commercial for baby hygiene products.
It was real slow loading too, but that’s why I’m disenchanted with Firefox.
I left without learning anything at all about Chrome, and I gave it a lot of chances. :(

[Psycho_Bunny]

Don't bother with Chrome unless you use Google Docs.

Other than that, it really can't complete with Firefox.

[668 - Neighbor of the Beast]

One of my near-dear-here at 668 uses Opera, swears by it. Others swear at it.
It may be stable...and maybe I’m not...but I can’t get used to it, especially that speed dial thingy.

[Retired Greyhound]

Opera’s main advantage is security, but I mostly use FF because of the extra features, like Cool Previews.

I just have to make sure I have FF add ons like Ad Block, Finjin, WOT, etc.

[ColdOne]

Don't bother with Chrome unless you use Google Docs. Other than that, it really can't complete with Firefox. Thanks for info.. good to know.!!! Thanks again Psycho_Bunny!!!

[Notary Sojac]

Last week I did a reinstall of XP on my wife’s machine.

Had to do a little browsing to find some drivers, did that using IE -before- I loaded up Firefox.

It was AMAZING how slow and cluttered up the net was, compared to FF with Adblocker and NoScript. Websites that I’d always thought of as a breeze were like wading through molasses.

[don-o]

What can FF users tell me about the "unresponsive script" notice that I get from time to time? I have looked to their "support" resources, which I find mostly useless. Also, why is my FF always in safe mode?

And, yes. I AM logged in. All the way in

[SmokingJoe]

Competition is good. There is no question that Microsoft went to sleep after IE gained 90% share and there was no effective competition for them. Now that they are getting serious competition from Chrome, Firefox and everyone else, they are starting to wake up. IE9 should be pretty good.