Mozilla Rising
Growing up, I was taught never to take pleasure in the misfortune of others, but I think I can safely bend this rule when the ‘others’ in question are huge billion-dollar monsters, such as Microsoft.
After more security concerns than a presidential visit, it seems that Microsoft Internet Explorer is losing considerable ground in the browser market. As security vulnerabilites with IE are announced with alarming frequency, more and more copies of Mozilla and Firefox are downloaded each day.
These stats from W3Schools show a healthy increase in market share for the Mozilla browser, from 5.7% in July 2003 to 12.2% in July 2004. Although IE still maintains the vast majority of market share (72% for IE 6, 8% for IE 5), it’s in a downward curve, and with all the recent bad press this is surely going to get steeper.
The irony here is that Mozilla was founded on the remnants of Netscape, the company Microsoft pummelled into submission during the browser wars of the late 90’s. How sweet revenge would be if this trend continued and Mozilla eventually overtook Explorer.
Posted 5 years, 8 months ago
It would indeed be sweet. Here’s to hoping.
Hanni · www · 5 years, 8 months ago
While it’s nice to see a stripped-down app like Firefox gaining in the face of bloated alternatives, I can’t really see IE ever going below around a 50% market share, regardless of security scares. There are still too many people in the world who either don’t know or don’t know to care about the security issues, their implications and the alternatives.
Add to that Windows' dominance on the PC desktop (something that won’t change in the near future) and I can’t see them ever falling fully off their perch. I expect they’ll just have to weather this storm before Windows XP SP2 hits the shelves with its updated IE (pop-blocker, improved security, etc) and everything will calm down again. Still, nice to see a bit of healthy competition.
Mal · 5 years, 8 months ago
The interesting thing I get from the numbers at w3schools.com is that Moz (and to a lesser extent, Opera) are cannibalizing IE5, not IE6, whose usage has remained pretty static at around 72%.
It’s the IE6 users that Mozilla needs to reach now, I guess, because that browser is still as borked, both security- and standards-wise, as IE5.
Tim · www · 5 years, 8 months ago
I also cannot see IE loosing too much ground to the competition. As an example, if you look at the online banks, quite a number do not support browsers other an IE.
As a developer in both Web and Application, I am frustrated by the amount of fannying around ensuring that a website works in all browsers.
I am suprised that the new Opera 7.5 browser seems to render pages pretty close to what Firefox and Mozilla does.
We always strive to ensure that a website renders in IE (it has the market majority) and then spend so much time ensuring that a page renders correctly in other browsers.
Perhaps we should ensure the site renders correctly in Firefox and Mozilla first and then add the hacks for IE. Who says that IE renders a page correctly and other browsers do not?
As to Windows XP SP2. I have had the SP2 for sometime and pages which work in IE 6 (SP1) look different in IE 6 (SP2). And so it continues......... more hacks.
Who said that web design was easy?
Berb Brown · 5 years, 8 months ago
I always hated Netscape compared to Internet Explorer, but phoenix took a hold of ages ago while I was still a red-horned-standards-zealot.
I read something recently, i forget where, that tried to explain why IE was falling so far behind. I mean lets face it, other than the patch-fest theres nothing really happening in IE development. From what I understand, this could be because DHTML was becoming ‘too useful’ and was a threat to microsofts long-term goal of getting rich clients everywhere (.net and all that palava). It’s quite an interesting read, so interesting i forgot the source. I’ll paste it if i find it!
Mozilla 4 Lyfe. I think i’ll put a button on my page at some point to show my support :)
Andrew · www · 5 years, 8 months ago
I don’t honestly expect to see Firefox overtake IE in terms of market share, but if this downward turn jolts MS into releasing an improved standards-compliant version of IE - with all the things we’ve been asking for (CSS-2, DOM, PNG etc.) - then I’ll be happy!
Phil · www · 5 years, 8 months ago
all the websites we’ve made using css in the last 2 years will suddenly explode as IE understands conditional selectors, but cacks up everything else :)
Andrew
Andrew · www · 5 years, 8 months ago
I’ve noticed that Natwest Online banking seems to support Mozilla now, and that’s without the User Agent Switcher extension. Mozilla *must* be getting more popular :)
Matt · www · 5 years, 8 months ago
Nope, won’t happen soon. Here’s why: many Microsoft users are in a world of install os, use sytem until it’s unstable, install os, and so on. It takes too much effort to keep downloading and installing programs. A large number of people will take the path of least resistance, which is to use IE right out of the box.
Just my $0.02.
Chris · 5 years, 8 months ago
I am just converting 6000 users to Mozila Firebird. We have just has so many good coments from the users - Much faster and more reliable than IE6. It takes alot to get a positive comment from a user - so this kind of feedback proves the big difference. Also my downloads are 50% faster than IE6 - SSL is up to 20x faster!
If you doubt me - just download and try . I have used IE6 for ages but Mozilla Firebird wins hands down.
Mark · 5 years, 8 months ago
Another reason to use Firefox (or Mozilla) is this great extension for web developers -
http://www.chrispederick.com/work/firefox/webdeveloper/
Phil · www · 5 years, 8 months ago
it doesn’t seem to render properly in the new version of firefox :(
Andrew · www · 5 years, 8 months ago