IE still dominant - will it ever change?
I just came across this article today:
http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=171201547&cid=RSSfeed_IWK_news
It talks about how Mozilla's market share is slowing and there doesn't seem to be any indication that it will ever break 10% market share anytime soon. They say that there seems to be a finite number of people interested in switching and that the market is getting closer to reaching that point.
I tend to disagree with this - I'm starting to see indications on non-tech related forums that "regular people" are starting to learn about Firefox and will use it. Part of the reason why they haven't changed isn't because they don't want to - it's because they just don't realize that there are viable alternatives and/or why they should switch. From the article: "People like choices, it seems, but they don't like too many choices." Well no, in this case most people don't even realize that they have choices.
I often come across this with my mom. I installed Opera on her computer and she asks questions about it sometimes (and often refers to it as "Oprah!"). She thinks it's too complicated for her and too hard to learn. I take it step by step, pointing out the benefits and why it's easy to use. But most people like her don't even know that there are alternatives!
Still - 80% is a big number. Even if that could be brought down to 50% would it really make a difference? If users never swtich from IE, and IE never brings its standards compliance up to the level of the otehr browsers, what sort of implications does that have for us as web developers? Will we ever be able to use new standards like SVG or all of CSS2? Will CSS support ever even be reliable to that point? What about web 2.0? Is MS deliberately delaying standards support in order to keep software developent on the desktop?
Discuss
demonhale posted this at 15:35 — 30th September 2005.
He has: 3,278 posts
Joined: May 2005
Yeah thats why ive been posting up several ads for opera and FF, I hate IE for non-standard compliance... Even in my class and where I go to; even my friends cafe or where I usually install softwares, I always install Opera as an alternative browser for them (which is way much better than IE in this case)... Still they really insist in using IE because its named Internet Explorer as if its the only thing that can Explore the Internet, Also when I give seminars and the like, or even on my lessons I tell them to switch to either FF or Opera.
We need to spread the word. I like the Sig of one of our members her saying "Internet Explorer, a tool that you use to download Opera (or FF)" not exactly the same but the point is evident...
I usually check on IE last for browser incompatibility, then I just dont get it why still MS doesnt seem to bother getting the software compliant, Ill banter more but I hate typing to many IE's so Ill start calling it "IT"...
technostick posted this at 17:50 — 30th September 2005.
They have: 27 posts
Joined: Sep 2005
IE, as many of you might know, stands for Internet Exploder. Bang!
Busy posted this at 22:16 — 30th September 2005.
He has: 6,151 posts
Joined: May 2001
I hate fake articles like this
It's just someone sitting in an office who has probably never even heard of linux or anything work doesn't provided, that needed a story and went to some site that collects stats.
The outcome, IE running away with hits. lets break it down ...
Opera comes set as IE, mozilla has a agent switcher which is a common download just so people can still view non web-standard websites as IE would.
So where is the proof? These folks like to report these claims but never back them up, I would love to see how someone measured the usage, a poll? from someones blog web stats, the local tea leaf reader perhaps, probably based on sales of new PC's even thou a lot of people install other browsers and operating systems straight away.
demonhale posted this at 01:40 — 1st October 2005.
He has: 3,278 posts
Joined: May 2005
Or based on the statistics of how many ignorant people there is, including the stubborn ones... LOL
nicora posted this at 05:51 — 1st October 2005.
He has: 267 posts
Joined: Nov 2001
moz had a short run, but for the first time a month ago, ie recaptured its market share. no, i dont see ie loosing its spot as the number one browser. regardless how much it sucks, you need to continue to support it. period.
ps: you need to support every other browser too, doesnt matter the market share, every viewer counts, even ie or opera or moz or safari.
locatepeople posted this at 14:16 — 1st October 2005.
He has: 377 posts
Joined: May 2005
all computers come with IE installed on them except amcs. IE is also the first software people become familiar with when introduced to the internet. Unless that changes IE will always stay at the top.
and remember everyone that has mozilla or firefox or opera also has IE, guarenteed.
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Renegade posted this at 00:18 — 4th October 2005.
He has: 3,022 posts
Joined: Oct 2002
You forgot to mention people who use Linux
No, not guaranteed, I have Firefox and Opera and I don't have IE, once again, you forgot about Linux
fifeclub posted this at 14:06 — 3rd October 2005.
He has: 688 posts
Joined: Feb 2001
Perhaps. I agree that the majority of computer users will only use what is already pre-installed, but I do see another 800-pound gorilla waiting in the wings that could help out. They're old rumors but there are still rumors of the gbrowser and of it being based on Firefox code. You'll still never get those people who never install anything but I think there are still plenthy of people that could be swayed to try it if a big name like Google promoted its superiority. We can only hope.
robfenn posted this at 10:19 — 4th October 2005.
He has: 471 posts
Joined: Jun 2005
Its going to take one major company to recommend Firefox and we will see the demise of IE i think. My dad is not very computer literate but read an article on Firefox and switched, so the general public must be aware of it.
My sister won't use Firefox because it confuses her, i can't see how it can but i think it proves a lot of people simply don't like change!
-Rob
Megan posted this at 13:21 — 4th October 2005.
She has: 11,421 posts
Joined: Jun 1999
Yes exactly - I've been trying to tell my mom to just use Opera for a few days. It just takes time to get used to. The same thing happened with her screen resolution. On her old desktop machine she'd be annoyed with me for bumping it up to 1024 but this year she got a new laptop and it was set there in the first place and she didn't even notice!
I did read recently that a few major computer manufacturers (forget which) are going to start including Netscape (!) in their default installs. Actually, a lot of people around the university I work for recommend Netscape. No idea why. Stuck in 1998, I'm sure.
Megan
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