IE Market Share Slips Sharply...Or Does It?
Oh no, the Web browser sky is falling! Or is it? A recent report from TechCrunch, citing figures from StatCounter, shows that Microsoft's long-standing Internet Explorer has lost just under 12% of its market share over the past few months. We're not sure how you feel about it, but to us, 12% in a matter of months is pretty significant.
If you look at the numbers, you will indeed find that IE 6, 7 and 8 usage has sunk around 11.4% in the last few months, but as InformationWeek points out, that number may not be telling the whole truth and nothing but the truth. While IE has dropped, the elusive "Other" category has gained around 10%, and even TechCrunch asserts that "it is difficult to make any firm conclusions at this point." Still, the mysterious 10% remains hard to explain. The "Other" figure seems to shoot up in May, which is too early for Firefox 3.5.
Most are suggesting that a combination of Google's Chrome, Firefox 3.5 and Apple's Safari are eating away at Microsoft's kingdom, and while we're hesitant to believe the numbers, we don't doubt that IE is losing some steam. For years now, IE's browser has had more security concerns (widespread, at least) than any other browser, and with the competition finally heating up, it's easy to understand why Microsoft has reason to worry. Firefox, Chrome and Safari are all amazing applications, and they're all gunning for the #1 spot that IE currently holds. Will Internet Explorer ever reinvent itself in order to compete with the young bucks? You can bet we'll be watching the meter closely after this.
If you look at the numbers, you will indeed find that IE 6, 7 and 8 usage has sunk around 11.4% in the last few months, but as InformationWeek points out, that number may not be telling the whole truth and nothing but the truth. While IE has dropped, the elusive "Other" category has gained around 10%, and even TechCrunch asserts that "it is difficult to make any firm conclusions at this point." Still, the mysterious 10% remains hard to explain. The "Other" figure seems to shoot up in May, which is too early for Firefox 3.5.
Most are suggesting that a combination of Google's Chrome, Firefox 3.5 and Apple's Safari are eating away at Microsoft's kingdom, and while we're hesitant to believe the numbers, we don't doubt that IE is losing some steam. For years now, IE's browser has had more security concerns (widespread, at least) than any other browser, and with the competition finally heating up, it's easy to understand why Microsoft has reason to worry. Firefox, Chrome and Safari are all amazing applications, and they're all gunning for the #1 spot that IE currently holds. Will Internet Explorer ever reinvent itself in order to compete with the young bucks? You can bet we'll be watching the meter closely after this.
