Major Web Browsers Worldwide Usage – June 2012

Fresh statistics have been released into the wild by Net Applications for June 2012.  Net Applications’ statistics are based on the activity of about 160 million visitors per month to Web sites using its services.

These are the latest figures on the performance of the behemoths of the Internet as far as Web browsing is concerned.

1. Internet Explorer: 54.02– 54.05 = 0.03 percent
2. Firefox:  20.06 – 19.71 = 0.35 percent
3. Chrome:  19.08 – 19.58 = 0.50 percent
4. Safari:  4.73 – 4.62 = 0.11 percent
5. Opera:  1.60 – 1.57 = 0.03 percent
6. Others:  0.51 – 0.48 = 0.03 percent

COMMENTS:

My golly, there is a big surprise in these latest numbers.  Microsoft Internet Explorer’s boat is relatively stabilized but lost a few followers last month.  Its global market share slid lightly from 54.05 to 54.02 percent.  Mr. Ballmer is optimistic that the launching of its latest Surface tablet could spark a revival in the fatigued browser.  That remains to be seen.

Mozilla’s Firefox did great in June.  It gained 0.35 percent in June clawing its way back to a solid second place.  Although Google Chrome remains to be a close contestant.

Google Chrome was the clear loser last month. It slid backwards a walloping 0.50 percent market share; a disappointing performance.  However there’s still a lot of momentum for this behemoth who knows how to play hardball.  Google knows how to play hard.  They recently launched a Chrome app for Apple’s iPad and iPhone and also made a splash in the market by announcing the Nexus 7 tablet at $199.00 strongly competing with Amazon’s Kindle Fire.  I’m expecting a robust next month for Chrome.

Apple Safari reversed it downward trend and gained 0.11 in June which is not bad, considering the stiff competition.  The iPad and iPhone are galloping gallantly which will surely thrust Safari forward.  Everybody knows that Apple is a formidable player who knows how to play its cards.

Norwegian Opera remained relatively stagnant in June, although it advanced 0.03 percent.  There were  rumors in the Cloud that Facebook was preparing to gobble it up.  I haven’t heard anything new, which probably means it was just that—a rumor.

I love to watch the horses running the Browser’s Derby.  It’s always unexpected—anything can happen.  Looking forward for July’s performances.  Until then, Good Day.

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Major Web Browsers Global Performance – October 2010

October is gone.  Halloween and its spooks are yesterday’s news.  It’s time to see something else, read something else, keep our minds busy.  Today millions and millions of viewers from all corners of the globe will be watching the mid-term elections in the United States.  I’m one of them, but I will also peep into the windows of the web browsers—Masters of the Universe.

As you probably know by now, my undisputed source regarding Web browsers is Net Applications. This company stands heads and shoulders above its closest competitors in the field of browsers and their performance.

 

Chrome sliced away another half a percentage point of usage share from rival browsers in October. (Credit: Data from Net Applications; chart by Stephen Shankland/CNET)

These are the latest statistics fresh from the oven of Net Application’s elves for October 2010:

1. Internet Explorer:  59.26 down 0.39 from 59.65 percent.
2. Firefox:  22.82 down 0.14 from 22.96 percent.
3. Chrome:  8.47 up 0.49 from 7.98 percent.
4. Safari:  5.33 up 0.06 from 5.27 percent.
5. Opera:  2.28 down 0.11 from 2.39 percent.
6. Others:  1.85 up 0.10 from 1.78 percent.

COMMENTS:

The bleeding trend continues at Microsoft. The band aids and other first aid kits haven’t been able to contain the hemorrhage.  They have been on a free fall for several months now, after a temporary bright spot during the summer. Microsoft is feverishly working on IE9, currently available in beta and platform preview editions, and its usage reached 0.3 percent in September.

Firefox has lost its compass and can’t find his way towards the finish line of the 25 percent landmark.  As time passes by, this accomplishment is fading away into the sunset.  They lost 0.14 percent in October while Internet Explorer dipped 0.39 percent.  Both are traveling to Mexico, if you know what I mean.

Chrome is emerging as the Goliath of the Web browsers.  It’s an unstoppable train traveling at full speed forward like the Orient Express.  I would like to highlight the fact that Chrome is the fastest-changing browser, since by default, updates are downloaded and installed automatically when the browser or computer is restarted.  This activity is invisible to the users’ eyes.  Google is working on releasing new Chrome versions more frequently, which means the number of changes in new versions diminishes. It also means the significance of the version number, which Google doesn’t emphasize and calls a mere “milestone,” is even lower.

Safari edged 0.06 upwards which not a big deal.  After the hoopla of MacBooks computers, specially the MacBook Air, I thought its browser would receive a shot in the arm.  It didn’t happen.  Chrome’s light is too bright to let Safari shine.  I’m sure Mr. Jobs is taking a close look at this situation.

Opera is going backwards instead of going forward.  It’s global market share performance decreased by 0.11 percent.  They seem to be focused on the mobile territory, where they are enjoying bright blue skies.  In the desktop arena, they have been stuck in quick sand.

In a nutshell, Google Chrome was the clear winner in October followed by Safari which barely increased its market share by a mere 0.06 percent.

Our next post on this subject will be on December.  Will Microsoft change its suicidal downward course?  Time will tell.  Good Day.

Source:  Top Browser Share Trend - Net Applications

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Major Web Browsers Global Market Share – July 2010

It’s amazing how far reaching the Internet has become.  The Cloud, as it is called, has permeated into just about every activity of our modern societies.  It’s like a technological hub where different technologies converge, (e.g., radio, television, telephone, fax and whole lot more.)  The vehicle to reach the Cloud is the Web browser, and for this reason alone, the war to capture global market share has grown more intense during the last few years.

Net Applications is a company that best monitors the industry and is respected by experts in the field.  Below are the latest statistics released by Net Applications for the month of July 2010.  Let’s see the latest picture.

1. Internet Explorer:  60.74
2. Firefox:  22.91
3. Chrome:  7.16
4. Safari:  5.09
5. Opera:  2.45
6. Others:  1.66

COMMENTS:

Microsoft has done it again—it has reversed Internet Explorer’s declining trend for two consecutive months.  In July it gained 0.42 market share points which is amazing.  The hemorrhage has been finally stopped.  Microsoft’s capacity to spin on a dime is legendary.  On several occasions Microsoft’s resilience has been demonstrated.  They are known to have clawed back to their original dominance of a market with a tooth and nail attitude.

Microsoft Internet Explorer has experienced a long slow browser usage market share decline featuring challenges from Firefox on Windows, Safari on Mac OS, Opera in Europe and Asia, and recently Google Chrome has been making some noise.

But, Microsoft has been very determined in their desires to ensure Internet Explorer remains the dominant browser.  They have moved some of their most talented engineering and management talent to Internet Explorer, have been releasing feature and security updates much more frequently, and finally have been advertising it.

Internet Explorer 8, the currently available version, has become the most used browser version in the world, and has given users confidence that Microsoft is truly focused on optimizing the Internet Explorer user experience.  Microsoft has also been very open with the development of IE9, due later this year and promising to deliver huge browser rendering speed improvements. Their next challenge is to strike on Apple’s darling—the iPad with Safari built in.  Apple is the first company to make the tablet attractive to the masses.

Mozilla Firefox is now reversing its trend, but in a negative way.  It lost 0.90 points in July—almost one whole point.  This was really a surprise—at least for me it was.  Firefox needs to put its act together and align its resources to combine amazing hardware, easy to use OS, an application delivery model with tons of options, book reader, games, productivity, and at least one compelling reason for customers to not choose the iPad to be truly competitive.  They need to monitor closely the emerging market of mobile devices.  That’s where the growth potential lies.

Google Chrome has decreased its drive and lost 0.08 points in July.  No big deal, but it shows that they are mortals and can be slowed down.  I’m sure they’ll be back with renovated strength.  They are also determined to become the dominant player in the browser’s domain.  They have all the money in the world to do it—plus the know how to back them up.

Apple Safari had a good performance and increased their global market share by 0.24 points.  They are continuing their rampant success in the mobile platforms.  There seems to be no obstacle for the huge success of the iPad, and their recent launch of the iPhone 4 was spectacular.  Even with the minor inconvenience of the faulty antenna, the gadget is still selling like hot cakes.  This impressive success of these products is trickling down to Safari browser and the numbers certainly show this situation.

Norwegian Opera is still chugging along—it gained 0.18 points in July.  They have planted their flag and have demonstrated to be a tough bone to chew.  Their presence in the mobile domain is absolutely intimidating to its competitors.  I don’t foresee any problems in the near future for Opera in this market.  They excel heads and shoulders over their competitors, with the exception of Apple which is doing extremely well with the iPhone and the iPod, as I mentioned earlier.

That’s the way I see things now; however anything can happen in this dynamic cut-throat scenario.  Now it’s time to wait for August figures and see what happens.  Till then, Good Day.

Source:  Net Applications

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Major Web Browsers Global Market Share – June 2010

(Credit: Data from Net Applications, Chart by Stephen Shankland/CNET.)

As the Cloud becomes the universal depository of  information, Web browsers are becoming essential information tools.  People are increasing the use of their Web browsers over their computer hard disks.  The computer desktop is no longer the sweet spot for savvy IT professionals.  The trend is to substitute the hard disk with the Web. This is why the major Web browsers are in an intense race to become more stable, secure and fast.  Speed is now a major factor to differentiate Web browsers.

Due to the decisive role of Web browsers, I keep a close watch of what is going on in this domain.  Net Applications is the best place to search for information about the performance of these applications.  Below are the latest statistics provided by Net Applications for the month of June 2010.  Statistics represent percentages (%).

1. Internet Explorer:  60.32
2. Firefox:  23.81
3. Chrome:  7.24
4. Safari:  4.85
5. Opera:  2.27
6. Opera Mini:  0.66
7. Other:  0.85

COMMENTS:

June was an excellent month for Microsoft.  After a long period of drought, Internet Explorer finally reversed its downward trend.  In June, its global market share increased 0.57 points—from 59.75 to 60.32.  This hike occurred at the expense of Mozilla Firefox which lost .51 percent.  The landmark of the 25 per cent market share seems like a distant mirage.  Internet Explorer’s unexpected rebound was buoyed by increasing usage of IE8 that offset the decline in IE7–and by what Web developers no doubt hope will be only a temporary pause in the decline of the despised IE6.

Some of IE8′s gains probably can be ascribed to the growing use of Windows 7, which ships with that browser and is showing some signs of finally being a successor to Windows XP that people actually are embracing. Net Applications showed that the browsing usage of Windows 7 climbed from 12.7 percent to 13.7 percent from May to June; Windows Vista dropped from 15.2 percent to 14.7 percent; and Windows XP dropped from 62.6 percent to 62.4 percent.

Third-place Chrome climbed from 7.04 percent to 7.24 percent from May to June.  Google is determined to back Chrome with its deep pockets in an effort to use it as a technological platform to run popular Cloud applications such as Google Mail, Google News, Google Docs and many other products accumulating in their digital warehouse.  Google is working hard to diversify its profit generating activities from Google Search and Google Ads to Google Books, Google Music, Google Phone and other products following the successful path of Apple, the company with a Midas touch.

In fourth place, Apple’s Safari rose from 4.77 percent to 4.85 percent, and Opera slipped from 2.43 percent to 2.27 percent.  With the launching of Apple’s iPad it’s expected that Safari should receive a strong push forward.  I was surprised Opera slipped in June.  Both, Opera for desktops and Opera Mini lost global market share in June.  I can’t understand what happened with this innovative Norwegian software which was doing very well in the cellphone arena.

The browser battles are shifting in direction dramatically as mobile phones and devices such as the iPad extend Web usage well beyond PCs. And things are very different on mobile devices.  Opera has years of experience on mobile devices, and indeed its Opera Mini version comes close to the regular computer version of Opera in terms of browser usage. Apple’s Safari works on iPhones, iPads, and iPod Touches, and Apple at least partially bans other browsers.

Mozilla is working on a mobile version of Firefox for Android and high-end Nokia phones and just submitted a tool to the Apple App Store it hopes will keep the desktop version of Firefox in sync with Apple iOS-based browsers. Google lets other browsers on devices with the Android operating system, but it comes with a browser as well.

As  you can see, there is never a dull moment in Web browsers territory and I couldn’t be happier.  Let’s wait and see what July has in store for us.  Good Day.

Source:  Net Applications – Top Browsers Share Trend

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Major Web Browsers Global Market Share – April 2010

April is gone and we plunge into the new month of May.  The dry season is practically over, and the first rains are here.  I feel so good for this change of season.  I was frying up like a fish with April’s extreme hot temperatures.  Now the temperatures are lot cooler; thanks God.

As you probably know, after a month is over, one of the first things I do is go over to Net Applications to find out what was the performance of the main web browsers.  I just can’t resist the temptation of finding out what went on during the previous month.  These are Net Applications’ statistics for April 2010 expressed in percentages:

1. Internet Explorer:  59.95
2. Firefox:  24.59
3. Chrome:  6.73
4. Safari:  4.72
5. Opera:  2.30
6. Opera Mini:  0.79
7. Others:  0.91

COMMENTS:

Microsoft Internet Explorer market share continued its free fall in April, now in use for fewer than three in five Web connections.  IE’s global market share in April was 59.95, down from 60.65 percent in March.

Google’s Chrome grabbed the lion’s share of that, increasing to 6.73 from 6.13 percent, while Firefox also gained nearly a tenth of a percentage point, to finish April with 24.59 percent.  Once again, Firefox failed to reach the expected 25 percent landmark.

The decline for IE at the expense of Google and Mozilla is the continuation of several years of market share losses for Microsoft. In May 2008, Microsoft had 75.94 percent of the market, while Firefox had 18.3 percent and Google’s Chrome wasn’t even out yet.

Even a year ago, Microsoft’s market share was nearly 8 percentage points higher. Since then, Google, Mozilla, and Apple have all further eroded Internet Explorer’s share of the market.

Safari and Opera held their ground during April.  I was expecting a hike in Safari as a result of the loud buzz in the market with the launch of the iPad into the wild and the disclosure of Apple’s financial performance for  its first quarter.  It didn’t happen, I wonder why?

In a nutshell,  Internet Explorer is leaking red ink all over the place, while Chrome is advancing full speed ahead.  Firefox just can’t seem to find the elusive 25 percent finish line.  The waiting game begins for May’s figures.  Good Day.

Source:  Net Applications Top Browser Share Trend

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Major Web Browsers Global Market Share Performance – December 2009

After the dust and the champagne has settled down following the frantic days of Christmas and New Year, it’s time to analyze the performance of the major Web browsers cut-throat race.  It’s red hot and it will get even hotter.  Everyone wants to be the king of the hill, top of the heap.  I’m depending on Net Applications for my statistics, the best source to monitor web browsers performance around.

Net Applications measures browser usage share by tracking the systems used to visit the 40,000 sites it monitors for clients, which results in a pool of about 160 million unique visitors per month.

These are the standings for December 2009.

1. Internet Explorer:  62.69 percent
2. Firefox:  24.61 percent
3. Chrome:  4.63 percent
4. Safari:  4.46 percent
5. Opera:  2.40 percent
6. Opera Mini:  0.53 percent
7. Others:  0.67 percent

COMMENTS:

Microsoft Internet Explorer is on a free fall losing 0.93 percent in December, the latest slip in a decline that accelerated during the second half of 2009.  IE lost an average of 0.94 of a percentage point in each of the last six months of the year, nearly triple the 0.36 of a point average during the first six months.  The relentless decline of IE has been a boon to rivals, of course, which have collected new users at Microsoft’s expense. The market shares posted by Safari, Chrome and Opera were all records, for example.

Projecting IE’s slide using Net Applications’ data, Computerworld now estimates that the browser will fall under the 50 percent  share mark as early as mid-May if the dramatic negative trend of the last three months holds true.

Mozilla’s Firefox lost 0.1 of a percentage point, finishing with 24.6 percent, delaying for at least another month the No. 2 browser’s move past the 25% milestone.  This was a total surprise for me.  Totally unexpected.

Google’s Chrome overtook Apple’s Safari to become the world’s third-most popular browser just 16 months after its debut.  Chrome’s December increase of 0.7 of a percentage point, the largest since Google launched the browser in September 2008, may have been partly fueled by the release three weeks ago of beta versions for Mac and Linux.

Apple’s Safari was bumped to fourth place for the first time by Chrome.  Apple’s  Safari, which dropped into fourth place for the first time, posted a share of 4.46%.  Although it fell to the No. 4 spot, Safari didn’t stand still last month: It picked up 0.1 of a percentage point.

Opera Software’s flagship browser also gained ground in December, and accounted for 2.4% of all browsers used in the month, a record for the Norwegian-made program.  Opera is finally gaining global recognition after having a spectacular performance in the mobile phone arena.  I was surprised to see that the browser included in my recently purchased Chinese iPhone clone was precisely Opera.  Safari was also there.

Mobile browsing now accounts for 1.3 percent of all browsing.  The biggest usage share winners this holiday season were mobile devices.  Both Windows and Mac devices lost a small amount of share in December, while all major mobile operating systems attained large percentage gains.

Will Mozilla Firefox break the 25 percent barrier in January?  Let’s wait and see.  Until then, Good Day.

Source:   Net Applications

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An Urban Safari in Panama City, Panama

In Panama, November 28 is a national holiday.  The country proudly celebrates its independence from Spain in 1821 under the leadership of Simon Bolivar.  It is the last independence holiday of November.  Then the country gets ready for Mother’s Day, Christmas Day and our course, New Year’s Day.  A lot of social action lies ahead.

Since there were no parades scheduled in Panama City, my wife and I decided to visit a popular mall located on the outskirts of the city—Albrook Mall. The place is huge, fully covered, and air-conditioned.  There are so many things in there, it’s almost impossible to decide on what to buy, unless you have it explicitly written on a piece of paper.  That is what we did.  My wife wanted to buy a new pair of sneakers for her daily early morning walkabouts.  She was crazy for a  pair of New Balance rubber shoes.  So that was exactly what we wrote on a white sheet of paper—New Balance tennis shoes.

Our beloved grandnephews—Abdiel and Carol— jumped into the bandwagon.  We called the trip, the Safari Mall Trip because the mall was full of wild animals.  The owners of the mall–very cleverly—identified the structure with wild animals which matched a certain color.  That would help the shoppers to easily identify and find the shops they were looking for.   For example, if you were looking a Mac Store to buy an iPhone, you would look for the Penguin Corridor identified with the color yellow.  The number is PA-P12.  At the entrance of the mall, you can request at the Information Center,  the Albrook Mall Store Guide to avoid getting lost.

The supposed purpose of the trip was to shoot fourteen wild animals at the mall.  The kids would be the  guides and I would be the hunter with my loaded Birthday camera.  My job was to shoot all 14 wild animals.  My wife’s mission was to buy her shoes, but that’s another story for another day.  

Below are images of several wild games we were able to find and shoot with my Canon PowerShot A720 IS camera.  Relax, take a deep breath,  and enjoy.  Here we go.

Abdiel and Carol pose with two zebras at the entrance of Albrook Mall. The zebras are all dressed up in Christmas colors. (Credit: Omar Upegui R.)

This is the second game of the day---a very tall giraffe in the middle of the aisle. (Credit: Omar Upegui R.)

An enormous dinosaur from Jurassic Park, so tall that my wife and Abdiel are barely visible. (Credit: Omar Upegui R.)

Carol is about to be eaten by a Christmas hippo. Abdiel and my wife Aura watches close by. (Credit: Omar Upegui R.)

A splendid capture of an African elephant. It looks almost real, except for the size of course. (Credit: Omar Upegui R.)

Photograph of papa and mama kangaroo. They look so cute in their pink pigmentation. (Credit: Omar Upegui R.)

I was strongly attracted to these dolphins swimming together with other fishes and turtles. (Credit: Omar Upegui R.)

My wife Aura isn't afraid of this gigantic King Kong. He looks menacing if you ask me. (Credit: Omar Upegui R.)

A beautiful family of Arctic penguins lovingly embraced by Abdiel and Carol. Even penguins feel cold, notice their scarfs. (Credit: Omar Upegui R.)

In this picture with a panda bear, Carol is beginning to feel the weight of walking several miles all over the mall hunting for wild games. (Credit: Omar Upegui R.)

Wow! This Bengal tiger really looks threatening. These feet are meant for running. (Credit: Omar Upegui R.)

Abdiel is acting awkwardly after having this powerful rhino behind his back. He looks as big and powerful as a Sherman tank. (Credit: Omar Upegui R.)

During our urban safari, Abdiel and Carol meet the King of the Jungle. Carol poses like a Carnival Queen under the wild beast. (Credit: Omar Upegui R.)

On our final capture, Abdiel's batteries are almost dead, while Carol has renewed her energies. (Credit: Omar Upegui R.)

After a safari that started at 10:00 a.m. and ended 04:30 p.m., we accomplished our mission.  With the assistance of my savvy young guides I was able to shoot fourteen wild animals.  Tired and dragging our feet, we headed home with a big smile on our faces.  We had a perfect hunting score.

Oh, one more thing…my wife got her walking shoes.  She was also smiling on our way home.   That makes four smiling faces heading back home.    Ain’t that nice?  Good Day.

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Major Web Browsers Market Share for January 2009

New browser usage statistics are out for January from Net Applications.  Net Applications accumulates data from 160 million monthly visitors to its network of hosted Web sites statistics.  It’s currently the most reliable source of information pertaining to Web browser’s market share performance.

Internet Explorer, which has been the market share king for many years now, has been falling steadily since the launch of Mozilla Firefox.

Firefox, on the other hand, has been growing continuously, reaching 21.53 percent market share.  Safari holds its strong third place spot, and sees increasing numbers as well at 8.29 percent.

The Mozilla Firefox Internet Web browser has continued to take market share away from Microsoft’s Internet Explorer.  A recent report shows that the Mozilla browser is growing so much, it could threaten IE8. The report was published by Net Applications which indicates steady growth for Firefox which could threaten the next version of IE.

According to the Web metrics provider, Microsoft’s browser market share has declined by more than 7.25 percent since March 2008. The browser held a 67.55  percent market share in January—its lowest in years.

Internet Explorer’s downfall could be as a result of a critical security vulnerability in November and December which took Microsoft engineers longer to patch. This vulnerability was serious enough that it allowed hackers to take control of a user’s computer. However, Microsoft confirmed that consumers didn’t report any successful exploit attempts to IE.

By contrast, Mozilla Firefox’s market share rose 0.19 of a percentage point from December and has climbed almost four percent since March 2008 to reach 21.53 percent in January.

Apple’s Safari browser has also been chipping away at Internet Explorer’s market share for months. Since  March 2008, Safari’s market share has grown more than two percent to a 8.29 percent share in January.

However, Safari’s rising market share is almost entirely due to the rising sales of Mac computers, which ship with Safari. According to Net Applications, the Mac operating system’s share of the computer market has risen 2.45 percent since March.  On the other hand, Microsoft Windows lost 3.31 percent during the last ten months.

Even Google’s Chrome browser, which debuted in early September, exceeded one percent for the first time in December. Among the world’s top five Web browsers, only Opera appears to be going nowhere. Opera’s market share has hovered around the 0.7 percent mark since February.  However, truth be told, Opera is doing extremely well in the mobile and gadgets domain, being a leader in those market segments.

These are the stats Net Applications published for January 2009:

Each browser has three figures. The first figure is January market share performance expressed in percentages, the second figure represents December market share also in percentages, and the third figure is the difference between January and December. Red means a decrease  and green an increase in market share for that particular browser.  Here we go.

1. Internet Explorer: 67.55%, 68.18%, 0.60%
2. Firefox: 21.53%, 21.34%, 0.19%
3. Safari: 8.29%, 7.93%, 0.36%
4. Chrome: 1.12%, 1.04%, 0.08%
5. Opera: 0.70%, 0.71%, 0.01%
6. Netscape: 0.57%, 0.57%, 0.00%
7. Others: 0.24%, 0.26%, 0.02%

Netscape challenges logic.  Even though it has no customer support form AOL, it retains loyalists in  its camp.  I appreciate brand loyalty for a legendary software which paved the way for the rest of the browsers during the early days of the Internet.

In a nutshell, Mozilla Firefox and Apple Safari are the clear winners for January 2009.  Good Day.

Source:  Top Browser Share Trend – Net Applications

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Major Web Browsers Market Share for December 2008

The latest data from Net Applications indicates that Internet Explorer lost market share in December to browsers from Mozilla and Apple. Net Applications accumulates data from 160 million monthly visitors to its network of hosted Web sites statistics.  It’s currently the most reliable source of information pertaining to Web browser’s market share performance.

According to the Web metrics provider, Microsoft’s browser market share has declined by more than six percent since February 2008. The browser held a 68.15 percent market share in December—its lowest in years.

By contrast, Mozilla Firefox‘s market share rose one-half of a percentage point from November and has climbed more than four percent since February to reach 21.34 percent in December.

“Reaching 20 percent worldwide market share is a significant milestone for Firefox and Mozilla,” said Mozilla CEO John Lilly last month. “It’s a huge achievement by the global Mozilla community, one that just a few years ago most would have considered impossible.”

Apple’s Safari browser has also been chipping away at Internet Explorer’s market share for months. Since February, Safari’s market share has grown more than two percent to a 7.93 percent share in December.

However, Safari’s rising market share is almost entirely due to the rising sales of Mac computers, which ship with Safari. According to Net Applications, the Mac operating system’s share of the computer market has risen 2.17 percent since February.

Even Google‘s Chrome browser, which debuted in early September, exceeded one percent for the first time in December. Among the world’s top five Web browsers, only Opera appears to be going nowhere. Opera’s market share has hovered around the 0.7 percent mark since February.

These are the stats Net Applications published for December 2008:

Each browser has three figures. The first figure is December market share performance expressed in percentages, the second figure represents November market share also in percentages, and the third figure is the difference between December and November. Red means a decrease  and green an increase in market share for that particular browser.  Here we go.

1. Internet Explorer: 68.15%, 69.77%, 1.62%
2. Firefox: 21.34%, 20.78%, 0.56%
3. Safari: 7.93%, 7.13%, 0.80%
4. Chrome: 1.04%, 0.83%, 0.21%
5. Opera: 0.71%, 0.71%, 0.00%
6. Netscape: 0.57%, 0.53%, 0.04%
7. Others: 0.26%, 0.25%, 0.01%

COMMENTS:

Microsoft can’t seem to find it way up North.  It lost more than one and a half points during December, while Firefox and Safari are advancing full speed ahead.

Chrome is gaining ground, even though I thought it would grab the market by storm.  Having a big name like Google doesn’t always do the trick.  When Google starts coughing out Add-ons for Chrome, maybe we can see bigger numbers for this no-nonsense Web browser.

Opera is dead on the water, while Netscape challenges logic.  Even though it has no customer support form AOL, it keeps on adding loyalist to its camp.  I appreciate brand loyalty for a legendary software which paved the way for the rest of the browsers during the early days of the Internet.

In a nutshell, Mozilla Firefox and Apple Safari are the clear winners for December.  Good Day.

Source:  Top Browser Share Trend – Net Applications

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Latest Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome Versions Tied Up in Speed Test

Both Firefox and Chrome are trying very hard to win the 100 meter dash.  In their latest builds, they almost tied up, being Firefox a bit faster.  Though Firefox remains the leader on the SunSpider test, with a score of 2,110, Chrome edged very close with 2,140.

As you probably know,  both browsers have new JavaScript engines, Chrome’s V8 and Mozilla’s TraceMonkey, which in the new beta is switched on by default.

JavaScript is used to build sophisticated Web sites such as Gmail or Google Docs, but it’s also widely used for more ordinary operations, so faster JavaScript performance is desirable. One interesting possibility Google has raised for Web applications though is to bypass JavaScript altogether and use Google’s new Native Client software, a research project that lets Web-based software run closer to the speeds of regular software on a computer.

I’m sure Apple Safari is burning the midnight oil to join the speed leaders.  As more and more applications are Web-based, speed is a very important factor to consider if you want to succeed.  Slowly but surely, the Desktop is being being replaced by the Cloud. This is something Steve Ballmer should accept sooner than later.  Good Day.

Source:  Firefox, Chrome virtually tied for JavaScript speed – cnet news.com

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