AfterDawn: News

Firefox hits over 20 percent market share for browsers

According to new research data from Net Applications , Mozilla's Firefox browser has finally surpassed the 20 percent market share milestone and seems to be taking market share from leader Internet Explorer at a growing pace.

Since the last time the research firm gathered data, Firefox moved up from 19.97 percent to 20.78 percent. Because it is taking away market share mainly from Internet Explorer, the unstable browser has now fallen to under 70 percent market share for the first since 1998. At its peak in 2003, Internet Explorer controlled 95 percent of the browser market.



Apple's Safari browser jumped up a percent as well to 7.13 percent and Google's new, but buggy, Chrome browser jumped to 0.83 percent.



Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 1 Dec 2008 17:07

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• 22 comments

• hikaricor

  Is that all? Wow...

  1.12.2008 17:54 #1

• slickwill

  Yeah, I'm surprised as well, I'd thought it would be more. I guess it hard to get people to switch browser when they have been using the same ones for so many years and continue to do so.

  1.12.2008 19:03 #2

• Pop_Smith

  @slickwill, it isn't just that.
  
  Another part of the reason Firefox doesn't already have close to 30% (or more) of the market share is that Internet Explorer is built-in to all standard Windows installations. It's already there and works OK for most folks, even though it probably isn't as stable as Firefox.
  
  One reason for Firefox's uptake in the market may very well be because of Ubuntu. It comes with Firefox built-in, just like how Windows comes with Internet Explorer.
  
  Peace

  1.12.2008 20:38 #3

• Ragnarok8

  I don't use ubuntu but I'm guessing that firefox is less "built-in" and integrated than IE is to Windows. 20% is already a pretty big number, I'm surprised they made it this far (from near 0% on day 1).

  1.12.2008 21:18 #4

• Pop_Smith

  Originally posted by Ragnarok8: I don't use ubuntu but I'm guessing that firefox is less "built-in" and integrated than IE is to Windows. 20% is already a pretty big number, I'm surprised they made it this far (from near 0% on day 1).Yeah, I guess I picked poor wording. "Included" would have been better. :P

  1.12.2008 22:17 #5

• Leningrad

  It wont be long before IE will no longer be the majority browser. Just like apple kicked of UNIX and microsoft kicked off apple, firefox will kick off IE. It wont be long trust me.

  1.12.2008 22:30 #6

• bomber991

  Originally posted by Pop_Smith: @slickwill, it isn't just that.
  
  Another part of the reason Firefox doesn't already have close to 30% (or more) of the market share is that Internet Explorer is built-in to all standard Windows installations. It's already there and works OK for most folks, even though it probably isn't as stable as Firefox.
  
  One reason for Firefox's uptake in the market may very well be because of Ubuntu. It comes with Firefox built-in, just like how Windows comes with Internet Explorer.
  
  PeaceReally, ubuntu is the reason of firefox's popularity?
  
  No, I must say I disagree. Firefox is popular because of two things:
  
  1. It's a good browser.
  2. People tell others about FF because of number 1.

  2.12.2008 01:30 #7

• Pop_Smith

  Originally posted by bomber991: Really, ubuntu is the reason of firefox's popularity?
  
  No, I must say I disagree. Firefox is popular because of two things:
  
  1. It's a good browser.
  2. People tell others about FF because of number 1.I didn't say that Ubuntu is the reason for the recent increase in Firefox's popularity. I said it was one of the reasons. Please don't twist my words around.
  
  However, I do agree with you that Firefox is a great (and speedy) browser which does benefit from word of mouth. However, word of mouth isn't the only factor in the reason for it's popularity.
  
  It might be its biggest reason but it might not, I'm not entirely sure.
  
  Peace
  
  EDITED by Pop_Smith: My post was a little too jumbled for my liking.

  2.12.2008 01:42 #8

• xyqo

  Well there are many reasons why Firefox is really popular we could discuss it back and forth for a long time but i do know that people are generally fed up with IE.
  I'm the sys admin for a network of libraries and when people come in to use the public computer and use Firefox for the first time they ask my tech support officers where they can get it. This happens like multiple times every day I've even had people come to me with their laptop asking me to install it for them.
  So for me I think MS own incompetence along with the brilliant technology and support from the Mozilla foundation coupled with peoples own frustration and willingness to spread Firefox has gotten it into such a commanding position in the browser market

  2.12.2008 10:20 #9

• maxikaz

  i love firefox, it is much faster than IE and much safer, has more friendly interface
  

  
  

  2.12.2008 13:19 #10

• chubbyInc

  Seems like lots of people still don't even know about Firefox. I've told a couple people about it who were just accustomed to using IE, but are now happy they switched.
  
  I like the look of Google Chrome, but it is still pretty buggy.

  2.12.2008 16:31 #11

• Thilo

  I didn't even know Netscape still existed!

  3.12.2008 16:52 #12

• atomicxl

  I'm shocked its that much. Firefox really blows to me. Its sluggish on certain sites (usually the ones that I visit the most) and seems to be just as bad as IE, except you have to actually download it.
  
  SMH @ Safari aka, "I'm sorry, but this site is incompatible with your current browser" increasing it's user base.

  3.12.2008 17:42 #13

• sandeep14

  this is good as firefox continues to grow.
  
  ive just got one complaint. the longer i have firefox open, it keeps increasing the amount of RAM it uses in the processes. makes my pc soooo sluggish. it goes up to around 200,000kb on my 512MB AMD athlon processor. even when i just open the browser and not do anything with it, in the processes it can go up to around 137,000kb. this is ridiculous.

  3.12.2008 19:10 #14

• defgod

  Originally posted by Pop_Smith: @slickwill, it isn't just that.
  
  Another part of the reason Firefox doesn't already have close to 30% (or more) of the market share is that Internet Explorer is built-in to all standard Windows installations. It's already there and works OK for most folks, even though it probably isn't as stable as Firefox.
  
  One reason for Firefox's uptake in the market may very well be because of Ubuntu. It comes with Firefox built-in, just like how Windows comes with Internet Explorer.
  
  PeaceThere is one other reason along with the fact that IE is built in. Is the fact that many many businesses have a windows server and all of their client pc's have a windows os. (many still windows 2000) With IE being the the only browser on those client pc's. Although there are more and more admins putting firefox on the client pc's.

  3.12.2008 20:43 #15

• liuhui

  Add-ons and plug-ins are the soul of Firefox.

  3.12.2008 22:08 #16

• hermes_vb

  Originally posted by liuhui: Add-ons and plug-ins are the soul of Firefox.You just took the words out of my mouth.

  8.12.2008 13:55 #17

• electriac

  For new installs we Nlite XP and remove the bloatware including IE and install Firefox.

  8.12.2008 16:49 #18

• electriac

  Have started using Chrome but do to my bad spelling I need Firefox spell checking for email and web page editing.

  8.12.2008 16:55 #19

• Jemborg

  I personally have found the new FF3.0.4 to be pretty buggy still and I hope that gets fixed. It's gonna be done sometime with some sort of new "monkey" something-or-other compiler so it will be even faster. Still I like it's new features- and the ability to surf without ads or flashbombs... fantastic.
  
  "Dig those addons baby."

  9.12.2008 00:24 #20

• drVarsha

  Wow, I love firefox and mozilla, keep it up mozila and all users of firefox, I would like to see firefox at the top, and thunderbird as well!

  9.12.2008 00:58 #21

• zorb43

  Originally posted by sandeep14: this is good as firefox continues to grow.
  
  Ive just got one complaint. the longer i have Firefox open, it keeps increasing the amount of RAM it uses in the processes. makes my pc soooo sluggish. it goes up to around 200,000kb on my 512MB AMD athlon processor. even when i just open the browser and not do anything with it, in the processes it can go up to around 137,000kb. this is ridiculous.Yes, that is one really big problem even on a machiene with lots of speed and Ram, along with its slow rendering speeds and accuracy problems. Also some of those lovable third party extensions are not all that secure; among other reasons why I use Opera and have for many years. Wait until you see the rendering speeds and accuracy of the new Opera 10. It's in beta now.

  12.12.2008 03:43 #22