Categories
browsers

Internet Explorer Might as Well Be Non-Existent

Internet users have long poked fun at Internet Explorer and any of its users. While the browser can be used across any mobile broadband connection, it hasn’t exactly been a favorite of the internet savvy. Earlier this year, there was even a faux study released that suggested that internet users who preferred Internet Explorer were actually less intelligent than other internet users who chose different browsers.

In spite of these jabs and the negative commentary, however, Internet Explorer had continued to account for over 50 percent of all web browsers used – mainly because it came with every computer that operated on Windows. It’s hold, however, ended in October.

Due to the increase in Apple products using Safari, such as the iPhone and iPad, and Firefox’s growing popularity, Internet Explorer is no longer able to account for over 50 percent of browsing on the web – a percentage it relinquishes after a decade long hold. The only area in which the browser maintains its majority status, at 52.63 percent, is with desktop browsers – otherwise, it is becoming more and more obsolete, especially as the dependency on mobile browsing rises.

As of right now, Internet Explorer only accounts for 6 percent of browsing on smartphones and tablets. Safari on the other hand, has a majority of the mobile market with an astonishing 62.17 percent – most of which the iPhone can be thanked. Firefox, which is the second most popular overall browser, accounts for 21.20 percent of traffic, while Chrome and Safari account for just a fraction more than Firefox when combined.

While Internet Explorer is still the most widely used browser, most people are wondering who actually still uses IE, and a majority of those users are most likely those who are too lazy to change their default browser after they purchased a PC operating on Windows.

Unfortunately, Internet Explorer will only continue to lose ground as more and more mobile devices take over where desktops and laptops leave off. Simply put, people love their smartphones and tablets because of their portability, and their use has exponentially grown over the first year alone. Unless Internet Explorer evolves to offer an exceptional browsing experience, it will most likely lose out to Firefox in the near future and become nonexistent in the mobile browsing world.

Which really isn’t all the bad considering that only those of lower intelligence actually uses the browser. It’s simply a matter of survival of the fittest.

Categories
browsers

New Firefox 4 Features Review.

Firefox 4 has made its debut finally for the Windows, Mac and Linux platforms and this time it has some serious improvements in its features along with tons of new additions. Some of the core functionalities being introduced in this new version are :

Speed :

One of the biggest issues faced by Firefox in all its previous versions has finally been solved. Firefox 4 is much faster now with respect to javascript performance, graphics and faster load times. Mozilla claims that there is a three to sixfold increase in the speed and i personally second this statement as the speed changes have been dramatic, test it for yourself.

A Sleeker Interface :

Tabs have now been moved to the top of the window thus saving in lots of space although you can restore them back on the bottom, that’s up to you plus there is an option to put all the menus into a new “Firefox” button on Windows and Linux located in the upper- right hand corner of the window.

The reload and stop buttons have been moved into the address bar which gives the toolbar a much neater look.

Tabs Management :

Tabbed browsing has been improved with the Tab Panorama organization window that shows a visual layout of current open tabs and then allows you to organize them according to various tasks. You also have an option to open any one group at a time, and Firefox saves the other groups thus making your tab bar clutter free.

Tabs can be pinned like the way we can do in Google Chrome plus you can search for open tabs in the address bar and switch to it immediately thus reducing time.

Synchronization :

Synchronize your passwords, bookmarks, history and settings in Firefox with Firefox Sync so that when you perform a fresh install or buy a new PC, all your preferences will be immediately synced there along with an added advantage of syncing all the information to your mobile device if your using Android or Maemo.

Other Notable Improvements :

Apart from these new and improved additions, there are a few other notable features that Firefox has come up with in this new release such as :

  • Support for the WebM video format.
  • Hardware Acceleration for better graphical performance.
  • Sandboxing of plugins to avoid crashes.
  • Improved support for HTML 5 and CSS 3.
  • Better privacy protection.

Well, the feature list does not get over here. For a complete list of all the new additions, please check Mozilla`s homepage.

Categories
browsers Mobile Software and Apps

Download Firefox 4 Beta For Android Phones Now

Mozilla foundation has announced that the latest version of Firefox 4 beta for mobile phones is now out and is ready for download. If you own one of the Android or Maemo devices, you can hit the Mozilla website straightaway to download the latest version (Check out our earlier coverage of Firefox).

The new version is available for download in 10 languages and does not come with too many new features though it includes a new theme along with improved tabbed browsing functionalities. The main purpose of the release appears to be improved performance of the application. Firefox 4 beta for Mobile is said to be 60% smaller than the earlier version in its installation size. Also, this browser is said to be 25% faster than the stock browser that comes with the Android phones.

Mozilla makes an important point on their blog. Some technical limitations on Android OS would mean that upgrading the application to the new version will not automatically remove the older files that are no longer needed. So in case you are particular about the file size, consider uninstalling the older version and then install this new version of Firefox Mobile.

Categories
browsers

Web Browser Market Share – September 2010

What’s your favorite browser? I changed from Firefox to Chrome over a year back and it looks like there were several people like me. The latest report from Comscore shows that Google Chrome has grown by over 210% in the year between Sep ’09 and Sep ’10. What’s more interesting is the fact that Internet Explorer, for the first time ever in the past decade, has falled below the 50% market share level.

Here is how the current web browser market share numbers stand. The corresponding number for September 2009 is offered alongside within brackets.

Internet Explorer : 49.9% (58.4%)
Mozilla Firefox : 31.5% (31.3%)
Google Chrome : 11.5% (3.7%)
Safari : 4.4% (3.3%)
Opera : 2.0% (2.6%)
Others : 0.6% (0.7%)

Mozilla Firefox has had an absolutely flat year. Do you see any reason behind this?

Categories
browsers

Internet Browser Market Share 2010

Janco Associates have published a white paper that elaborates on the latest browser market share (based on usage in April 2010).  The firm writes,

“Based on our test results current versions of IE and Firefox are significantly more robust than prior versions.  In addition, IE 8 is feature rich and a step ahead of the other browsers.  Chrome has major defects which limits its usefulness on all sites.  Several of these defects are highlighted in this White Paper.”

Here is the browser market share as in April 2010

1. Internet Explorer : 67.73%
2. Firefox : 17.88%
3. Google Chrome : 5.40%
4. Konqueror : 2.59%
5. Gecko : 1.61%
6. Mozilla : 1.36%
7. Safari : 0.98%
8. Opera : 0.50%
Others : 1.95%

Update : Perhaps statistics never reveal the complete picture. A day after the Janco study was published, BBC has published data from NetApplications which suggests a markedly different market share among browsers

1. Internet Explorer : 59.95%
2. Firefox : 24.59%
3. Chrome : 6.73%
4. Safari : 4.72%
5. Opera : 2.30%
6. Opera Mini : 0.79%
7. Netscape : 0.46%
8. Mozilla : 0.16%
9. Flock : 0.06%
10. Lunascape : 0.04%

There is no way to know which of the two numbers are more accurate. However, considering the prominence of browsers such as Safari over Konqueror, I would tend to believe that the latter list makes more sense.


Categories
browsers

Opera Mini On iPhone – Interesting Statistics

Opera has released its customary ‘State of the Mobile Web‘ report and this is the first report since the Opera Mini app for iPhone was approved by Apple few weeks earlier. So it is naturally interesting to see how the approval of the Opera Mini app helped the growth of the mobile web browser. Here are some interesting notes from the latest report (for the month of April)

  • Apple iPhone is the 3rd most popular device among Opera Mini users worldwide
  • Inside the US, Apple iPhone is already the number 1 device among Opera Mini users
  • USA has jumped from #8 to #5 in the top 10 countries list
  • Countries where iPhone is the most popular device
    • USA
    • UK
    • Australia
    • Korea
    • Canada
    • Germany
    • Japan