Internet Explorer Is Still The King Of All Browsers

Which web browser rules them all?

It's not geek favorite Mozilla Firefox, or fast-growing newcomer Google Chrome. It's the classic clunker Internet Explorer.

In fact, not only does Internet Explorer far outstrip the market share of its closest competitor Firefox, but any one of its three currently available versions (IE 6, 7, and 8) beats out all versions of Chrome combined, based on results compiled by the market share tracking service Hitslink.

Internet Explorer is one of the oldest browsers around. Since initial development in 1995, IE, manufactured by Microsoft, has dominated the market. Though it currently holds close to 60 percent of usage share, that number has been steadily declining over the past decade (other estimates have pegged IE's share at below 50%).

And for all its popularity, IE has always been a subject of derision for the techno-savvy. PC World named IE6 one of the 25 worst tech products of all time. Its most recent reincarnation, IE 8, has a little over 32 percent of market share.

Mozilla Firefox, with its usage share of around 23 percent, was first released in an officially supported format in 2005, though earlier versions had been around since 2003. Its functionality for optimization, which numerous add-ons and tabbed browsing, has made it a favorite for those in the digital know.

Yet since the introduction of Google's first web browser, Chrome, in 2008, Firefox has had to fight to hold on to their number two spot in the browser rankings. Though Chrome trails Firefox at close to 10 percent for third, it has steadily eroded Firefox's lead in the past two years.

It seems, though, considering Internet Explorer's enduring popularity, that many web surfers don't care about trendiness when it comes to their browsing.
(h/t The Next Web)

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Comments

[Booster Gold]

01:02 PM on 01/24/2011

I don't believe it. No one uses IE anymore. If they are, they are being foolish because firefox has way more to offer and if it's speed you're after, it's all about Chrome. Thou shalt not use Internet explorer. It's like the 11th commandment! http://thefoxlady.com

[Craig 212]

03:15 AM on 01/03/2011

I formatted my hard drive a few months ago and had to use IE for the first time in years (just long enough to navigate to the download pages for FF and Chrome) and it is clunkier than ever. I swear, Microsoft's browser is devolving.

Anyway, I had used Firefox for years and loved it, but over the past few months it started using more and more system resources, freezing up and crashing more often, etc. I blame most of this on my crummy 5 year old laptop, but still, it was a frustrating experience.

About a month ago I decided to try out Google Chrome, and wow. So simple yet so elegant. I think I'm in love.

[FlibberFlabber]

12:40 AM on 01/03/2011

I use Chrome for video and Opera (because of its features, customization options, & speed) for everything else.

[originaldna]

09:39 PM on 01/02/2011

I use Chrome/FF when I'm at home and FF when I'm at work.
The new IE coming has been tested to be pretty fast with lots more wed standards so I might switch back.

Safari is ass!!!

http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2010/09/internet-explorer-9-beta-drops-its-lean-fast-and-modern/

[SlurmsMcKenzie]

08:56 PM on 01/02/2011

IE = AOL

[MIKEinNYC]

08:42 PM on 01/02/2011

Most cpmputer users are not techies. Not all stove users are chefs.

Most people adhere to the 11th Commandment, "If it Ain't Broke, Don'
t Fix it". If they're going to use the internet they'll use what they know and what works.

After Firefox, IE is what I'd use. Not Chrome, no menu, no print preview, scrolling through bookmarks is a PITA. Otherwise, I do like its speed.

It's teh smae as

[Brandon1990]

07:41 PM on 01/02/2011

I cant stand to use IE to me it's slow i use Google chrome 98% of the time and Firefox 2% of the time.

[DRaymond]

05:49 PM on 01/02/2011

Honestly I don't think that much about browsers.  When I have to helep somebody with some problem the problem isn't about the browser but about how to do something or other.  I know that they have i.e. available on their computer so I can talk them through things.  So I mostly just use i.e.

[BrassOnes]

05:47 PM on 01/02/2011

IE and Firefox love to fill the top browser banner with all kinds of garbage. (firefox less but...)

I love chrome for how clean it is. No added search bars and endless buttons taking up space on a smaller lab top. Last time I saw my mothers lab top she must have had 3" of buttons and links atop her browser. (people like her don't know how to get rid of all the junk)

[Acert]

02:31 AM on 01/03/2011

This message is brought to you by Google.

[black series]

12:34 PM on 01/02/2011

That because all the Universities, public libraries have IE as default browser and most of the third world countries still uses IE.

[M Zahran Sallay]

10:50 AM on 01/02/2011

Firefox is my primary browser at the moment however I do use Chrome and Opera from time to time. Safari is a joke, Camino is an unknown and IE is still far too bloated for my liking. (unfortunately firefox seems to be heading in that direction...)

[R U Sirius]

09:33 AM on 01/02/2011

IE is so slow and overloaded with useless MS "stuff," I never use anything but Firefox and Opera. And even Firefox is getting too big and unstable.

[SamanthaBee]

01:07 AM on 01/02/2011

1. Chrome
2. FireFox
3. Internet Explorer
4. Opera

Safari is a joke, even on the Mac.

[MrVee]

11:45 PM on 01/01/2011

Google Chrome is my browser of choice but I like what they are doing with IE9 so far. I dropped Firefox because it is a huge memory hog and Mozilla is unable or unwilling to fix it.

[Opening Shares]

04:00 PM on 01/01/2011

So with nine iterations of web browser offerings, even though Micro$oft creates the operating system that runs most people's software, they finally got it right, sort of.

But still if you are so motivated to make a web browser do something, like say have a link repost to a blog of yours or append a url like twitter with selected text, good luck with that if you are using IEX. If you would find such an experience empowering, Fire Fox has some very well documented approaches to the task of making extensions.