The Changing Face Of Browser Usage
The last time there was a genuinely competitive environment in terms of PC web browser it led to Microsoft’s inclusion of Internet Explorer as an integral part of their operating system, a subsequent investigation into the company’s abuse of a monopoly position, and significant fines and penalties. That was when Netscape was a major competitor, and now Netscape is little more than an afterthought in terms of browser usage (though it still exists!).
That dominant position for Microsoft has certainly changed over the last few years, with the growing take-up of Firefox as a browser of choice. For a while it was legitimate to put this down to Microsoft’s lack of support or development for Internet Explorer 6, which remained as the standard browser long after new developments meant that it was outdated and obselete, having been around for well over five years. But in 2006 when Microsoft finally released Internet Explorer 7, which incorporated a number of Firefox’s developments (e.g. tabbed browsing) I was curious to see whether Firefox’s growth would continue. The World Wide Web Consortium publish browser usage statistics on a monthly basis, important information for web designers who need to know what are the main browsers that their websites must be fully compatible for and accessible through. And I was very interested to note that September 2007 saw the first time that Firefox became the most popular single browser for PC users overall.
Indeed overall web usage is now split in the majority between Firefox and versions 6 and 7 of Internet Explorer. But the growth of Internet Explorer 7 hasn’t been as fast as one might have imagined - particularly given that automatic Windows Update for XP will add it as an installation. It still only makes up just over 20% of overall browser usage, with Internet Explorer 6 still well ahead at just under 35%. Firefox is just a fraction ahead, approaching 36% of usage, and the only other browsers of any real note are Opera and (amazingly) Internet Explorer 5 with about 1.5% of the share each.
You’ll find that most web design is done initially to make a page work on Firefox, as it’s more accurate in correctly rendering CSS and HTML. Internet Explorer 6 had lots of glitches and unusual behaviour, and although Internet Explorer 7 solves much of that it still behaves oddly at times. Those problems are solved through the use of conditional CSS files - i.e. ones that load only when the browser is detected to be Internet Explorer 6 or 7. It’s a handy way to utilise the cascading nature of stylesheets.
With Safari now entering the market on the PC side, it’s going to be interesting to see whether this further fractures the browser market. For a very long time Microsoft had a near monopoly on browser usage, and although they still have nearly 60% of the market in total (when you combine users for all the various versions of Internet Explorer) that time is definitely finished. It’s something I definitely have to take into account of when it comes to web design, and interesting as an overall development to see how competitive the market has become even for software that is effectively given away for free.
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