In the most recent browser usage study, open source advocates cringe in horror as Microsoft’s Internet Explorer (IE) slaps down Firefox. Adding insult to injury, Safari also gained ground by nibbling on Firefox’s market share.
Do you agree that IE is the obviously superior browser? Talk about it at WebProWorld.
NetApplications, a company, that among other things, measures Internet browser usage released their monthly statement and said IE crunched Firefox to about the same level there were back in June.
The open source browser lost nearly a full percentage point against the already dominant IE and the third ranked Safari. Microsoft moved up to 87.2% from 86.56% and Safari moved up to 2.13%.
Right now, IE remains the obviously superior browser if no other reason than sheer usage numbers. According to the report from NetApplications, the number to beat is 10% of the market share and while Firefox looked like it would succeed, the new numbers makes one reconsider that notion, particularly with the reassertion of Microsoft and the ground picked up by Safari.
While there is a lot of speculation about whether this is the beginning of the end for Firefox or merely a midsummer slow down, the recent declaration of them moving into the for-profit arena may be moving more directly in the Microsoft’s territory, which they are more than capable of defending.
Also Firefox has some drawback compared to IE too. There are number sites with ads on their websites that have to “settle down” before you can read them. This particular item is incredibly annoying. It’s not a problem IE has. Also, while IE does have vulnerabilities, Firefox does get them as well and if the engine gets more popular in it’s usage, they will certainly have their vulnerabilities exploited heavily.
John Stith is a staff writer for Murdok covering technology and business.
