Major Web Browser Market Share – November 2009

November has come and gone faster than you can wink an eye.  December is following the same trend.  Soon we will be watching the descending apple at Times Square in New York City.

I have just reviewed Net Application’s statistics for November 2009 which are very interesting if you like monitoring the performance of web browsers.  I’m passionate about this subject.

These are November 2009 statistics expressed in percentages:

1. Internet Explorer:  63.62
2. Firefox:  24.72
3. Safari:  4.36
4. Chrome:  3.93
5. Opera:  2.31
6. Opera Mini:  0.46
7. Other:  0.60

Comments:

It’s no surprise that Mozilla Firefox continues to snap at Microsoft’s heels.  Firefox is ready to break the 25 percent landmark, maybe next month.  This is an outstanding performance, considering Mozilla is fighting a  formidable behemoth in the industry, famous for blowing its contenders dead in the water.  Internet Explorer has lost its traditional mojo.  Its glory days are gone, if you ask me.

Safari slipped a bit in November, but I’m sure it’ll keep gaining ground.  The “halo effect” of the iPhone will keep the momentum going.  Reading the tea leaves, I foresee clear blue skies for Apple in the near future.

The 800-pound gorilla of the 21st Century is doing fine with Chrome. It gained 9.8 percent in November keeping a solid fourth place in global market share.  Somewhere inside the Mountain View Chocolate Factory, Google’s elves are busy working on the next version of Chrome.  They plan to use it as an operating system to replace Microsoft Windows.

Opera is the clear winner in November.  Finally, mainstream users are taking notice of this persistent Norwegian Web browser.  It grew at the rate of  6.5 percent in November.  An excellent performance pushed by its influence in the mobile phone industry.  Take notice that Opera Mini has captured a walloping 0.46 percent global market share equivalent to a jump of 31.4 percent from previous month.  I was shocked to see that.

Without doubt, a major force in the browser wars is the move to mobile.  The iPhone has proven that people will browse from their mobile device if the browser and device can provide a similar user experience to a computer.  Mobile browsing is projected to grow substantially in the years to come, so this may be the next big battle ground for browser providers.  Opera is aiming its guns at this emerging market and so is Google.

I recently extracted this piece of news regarding the browsers’ race which gives a pretty good picture of what’s going on in this cut-throat scenario.

Anyone who may have thought the death of Netscape would signal the end of the browser wars, boy were they mistaken. In fact, it could be argued that it was at that point it all began. It didn’t take long for Mozilla’s Firefox to emerge from Netscape Navigator’s ashes, and over time, Firefox would win over enthusiasts with a potent combination of speed, security, and an unprecedented level of customization.

“But what started as a two-man battle is quickly growing into all-out warfare. Prepare to be overwhelmed by an onslaught of new browser releases in the coming months as Microsoft, Mozilla, Apple, Opera Software, and Google all vie to provide your vehicle for navigating the web. Each one brings something new to the table, whether it be blazing fast performance or a unique feature-set. Don’t worry if you haven’t been paying attention—we jump in the trenches with whole lot of them and get to know each one on a personal basis.

Netscape may have died an untimely death at the hands of Microsoft, but its soul lives on. We’re talking about the open-source Gecko rendering engine, which started life at Netscape in 1997 and has been used with every version of Firefox. Gecko’s main advantage is that it was built specifically to support open internet standards, but is also adept at rendering most web pages built for IE. The cross-platform engine also boasts support for a wide range of operating systems.

Also starting life at Netscape is Firefox’s SpiderMonkey Javascript engine written in C. It’s the same engine Yahoo uses for its Widgets, and can also be found in various other applications.

Simply put, no other browser boasts the same level of versatility and customization options as Firefox. To date there are over 6,000 add-ons available and more than 600 themes to choose from.”

I can’t wait for December figures to find out if Firefox broke the 25 percent landmark.  That would be a great present for my Xmas. tree.  Good Day.

Source:  Net Applications

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Having Fun at a Mall in Panama

If you have been following my recent posts, you already know that we had a ball visiting a mall.  Usually I don’t like malls.  There are too many people, the excess of merchandise makes me dizzy, and the parking lots are always full.  I prefer small stores where I know the owner of the place.  The customer service is more personalized, if you know what I mean.

To my surprise, our visit to Albrook Mall was a most enjoyable experience.  We spent more than six hours walking every inch of this colossal structure.  My wife was content with her beloved grandnephews, and I was having a marvelous time with my Birthday camera.

Below are some of the pictures at the mall which depict different aspects of our stay there.  The children were the focus of our attention.  Children grow so fast, it’s a wise thing to spend as much time as you possibly can, with them before they fly away and build another nest.  We never had any children, so being near them is always a blessing from the Good Lord.

“Let the children come to me.” Here we go.

Abdiel and Carol pose for the camera together with my wife, Aura. A beautifully decorated Christmas tree surrounded by Christmas flowers enhance the scene. (Credit: Omar Upegui R.)

I love Christmas flowers.  Christmas flowers are the popular flowers used during the festive season of Christmas. In many countries, flowers and plants form a major part of the Christmas decoration.

Poinsettia, Christmas cactus, holly, Christmas rose, ivy, mistletoe, etc., add color to the festive decoration. Some of them bloom during December or Christmas.

The ancient Aztecs (the ruling tribe in central Mexico at the time of contact with Europe) prized the poinsettia as a symbol of purity. Centuries later, Mexico’s early Christians adopted the poinsettia as their prized Christmas Eve flower. The Mexican poinsettia, known as the Christmas Flower in North America, is used in most Christmas decorations, owing to its bright red color and its blooming season coinciding with the Christmas holiday season.

If you want your children to have a good time, take them to a Merry-go-Round. (Credit: Omar Upegui R.)

Can you select a better background for a six-year-old kid? No wonder Abdiel is laughing. (Credit: Omar Upegui R.)

Jumbo ice cream cones and children equals a "win-win" situation. I wonder why my wife is so serious? Is it because of the calories? (Credit: Omar Upegui R.)

Abdiel was telling me to throw a few coins in the fountain. "It's good luck," he said. (Credit: Omar Upegui R.)

This is what I call pure brotherly love. You can't beat that, ever. (Credit: Omar Upegui R.)

Aura, Abdiel, and Carol: a trio of love. I should have been there, but who takes the picture? (Credit: Omar Upegui R.)

The core essence of Christmas is Love. That’s why He came here for.  As you can see, children are very close to our hearts.  Good Day.

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Photograph of the Day: Santa’s Seat

Abdiel and Carol share Santa's seat at Albrook Mall in Panama City, Panama. (Credit: Omar Upegui R.)

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