Firefox Downs Internet Explorer Market Share

“Alternative” Browsers Occupy Significant Part of the Market

by Anton Shilov

[ 01/23/2005 | 10:54 AM ]

While Microsoft Corp. has implemented certain highly-anticipated features like pop-up blockers into its recent Internet Explorer update, so-called “alternative” are gaining popularity and gaining it seriously.

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“According to WebSideStory, which has been tracking the Firefox vs. IE numbers since June 2004, the Mozilla-made open-source browser had captured 5% of the US market by January 14, 2005, an increase of almost a full percentage point since early December. WebSideStory’s “Other” category, which includes Opera and Apple's Safari, also jumped in the past month from 1.2% to 2.1%. Internet Explorer, meanwhile, dipped from 91.8% in December 2004, to 90.3% in January. Since June of last year, Microsoft's watched IE lose slightly more than 5%of share,” claims article from TechWeb News.

According to W3Schools web-site, who also tracks browser usage, 70% of Internet surfers used Microsoft Internet, 18.8% utilized Mozilla’s Firefox browser, the rest used Opera, Mozilla and other types of software to look through the Web.

Among X-bit labs readers 48% used Firefox, 34% used Internet Explorer, 7% used Opera, the rest used Mozilla, AOL Netscape or other browsers.

• CRN.com: Internet Explorer's Share Down to 90 Percent.
• BusinessWeek Online: Mozilla Is Gaining on Godzilla.
• W3Schools: Browser Statistics.
• X-bit labs Poll: Which browser do you use to browse X-bit labs?
• Firefox.com: Get Firefox.