According to the IE group and WebSideStory, IE 7 has had 100 million downloads. It sounds like a milestone, but the problem is, these downloads were mainly conversions from older versions of Internet Explorer.
As of Dec. 2006, IE accounted for 79.6% of all browsers, which is a notable decline from the 80.6% it held in Nov. This is in stark contrast to Firefox which gained from 13.5% to 14% during the same period.
The quantity of IE 7 downloads is credited to users downloading the software through Automatic Updates in Windows. So does it really matter than IE 7 has been downloaded 100 million times? I’m thinking no.
By a show of hands who is using which browser? I’ll start things off: I’m using Firefox 2.
Despite 100 Million IE 7 Installs, Microsoft’s Browser Still Loses Ground [Information Week]
and IE will continue to slide because MS doesn’t get the concept of community.
http://www.winextra.com/?p=245
Firefox 1.5 at home and work – all computers at my work run Firefox (1.5 or 2), IE just isn’t safe enough.
Firefox for surfing and developing at home and work.
But due to my job and that other 79.6%, I test in IE and if its any unorthodox AJAX/JavaScript stuff, I pop open the Opera.
I already presume it doesn’t work on Mac Safari. I tell my Apple users to download Firefox.
The other factor to consider is how many users have IE and other browsers installed. My primary browser is the Firefox-based Flock 0.7.9.1 (loves it!), but for development and testing purposes, I also have Firefox 2.0.1, IE 7 (Windows), IE 6 (Windows – corporate clients), Safari 2.0.4 (Mac), Opera 9. Just for sh*ts and giggles, I also have the Firefox-based SongBird.
I’m a big advocate of Flock as it retains the functionality of Firefox, including support for extensions, while integrating additional functionality for the web 2.0 movement such as RSS aggregation, Flickr/Photobucket, blogging, and favorites search for Del.icio.us and Shadows. Be sure to check it out if you like Firefox and are also involved in the social web. And note CrunchGear is one of the default feeds pre-installed into the RSS aggregator!
http://www.flock.com
Firefox 1 at work; 2 at home. Both have IE 6 on them for operational, and family purposes.
FF2 at home & work.
IE 6 & 7 at work (for testing), 6 only at home… don’t use it.
Flock beta here, it’s the best browser I’ve ever used and I’ve tried them all :) Also I test websites in Opera 8.5 and 9, IE6 and IE7, Firefox 2.
But yeah I agree, webonics, Flock is the best by far.
Yep…Flock user here also. Prefer it to Firefox and IE7 (but of course.)
BonEcho (Firefox 2 tweaked for a G4)
http://www.beatnikpad.com/archives/2007/01/06/firefox-2001
I use Firefox primarily. I am forced to use Explorer for a few things I do regularly though, so I do see it. I think I have 4 favorites in there and those are the only things that see me in there.
I am going to go get this Flock and give it a try.
Jennifer
Proud Opera user here! :) Certainly have other browsers for site testing, but only use Opera 9 if I can help it. When that fails, Firefox 2, but IE is only a last resort.
My partners and I run a computer repair / building / selling / tuneup etc. and I’m pretty sure we are responsible for .1% of those firefox downloads. It’s so nessisary for our customers safety and stability. Almost ALL our customers only use IE because they dont know other browsers exist. Once we install a browser that we tell them will reduce 90% of problems they have ever faced on their computer, their eyes light up! If microsoft didnt force IE on PC users, it would account for less than 5%. And thats a very HIGH figure. BTW, I’ve never talked to a web designer that didnt HATE IE with a passion.
Flock user here.
The social web is the future (please don’t throw rotten vegetables at me) and Flock is its browser.
I use Flock as much as I can.
I work for a major UK ISP, and I’m sorry to say that our internal systems have been deliberately tailored to only work in IE, and although we do develop and test for other browsers, there’s no mention of anything other than IE in our online documentation.
It’s not profitable to offer support for anything other than the mainstream, (we have a similarly shameful position on Mac computers), so new customers are immediately nurtured to use MS products. Sadly ignorance is to blame for IE’s dominance.
+1 for Flock
After I’ve set it up for Flickr, del.icio.us, and blogging, I’ve found other browsers lacking. Sure Flock crashes sometimes and I switch to Safari, Camino, Opera, or Firefox but in the end, I always go back to Flock.
I suppose I’m biased because I work for Flock, but to be honest I didn’t really know if I thought Flock was anything special when I began work here. After a month I was fully convinced. This is definitely the (immediate) future of browsing. I’m very lucky to work on a product that I love and use!
Evan Hamilton
Flock Community Ambassador
Flock user here.
Firefox 2.
Unfortunately, this poll isn’t going to tell us much about the average Internet user and their browser choice (but we already know that: IE). We’ll see a lot of Firefox and Flock, but every single person reading CrunchGear is an atypical, advanced Internet user.
I wonder what the browser stats for TechCrunch are. Must be heavily Firefox/Flock-biased, relatively speaking. Over at Simpy, Firefox was close to 30% and slowly growing, last time I checked (a few weeks ago).
Flock for LIFE!
I use flock, which is based on the same browser as firefox but much more community friendly, go and check it out.
At College/anywhere else I use Firefox portable 2.0.
Unfortuantly i am one of those 100 million downloads, because certain sites out there still refuse to be compatible with Firefox. :(
Used to use FF exclusively but after a series crash I decided to look for other alternatives. Tried Opera for a while and was really pleased by the integration of the email client and the general speed of operation. When IE7 came I installed that but have since only resorted to using it for check for Windows Updates and the odd site that complains if you don’t use IE. I have FF2 installed but over the last couple of weeks I’ve started using Flock (currently using 0.7.9.9) and have loved the integration with delicious, flickr, blogger and other services that it uses. This was the browser that got me into the whole social internet thing.
Anonther happy Flock user. When is their next version coming out? Can’t wait!
When on Mac: Flock and Safari.
When on PC: Firefox.
I use Opera 9.2 but right now I’m testing out Flock.
At first, I thought Flock was a waste of time and confusing. After using it for 3-4 days, I was hooked. It reminded me of when I switched from IE to FF. I’ve been using Flock for a few weeks and I am sold – especially now that I’ve got all my FF extensions running in Flock.
Flock!
I’ve been a FF advocate for a while, briefly used Flock for a little while about a year ago, but went back to FF. Lately, since Flock 1.0 was launched I’ve made the switch back; everything I didn’t like about Flock before has been changed or improved and now it’s my default browser of choice. I love how everything else fits in seamlessly with it, and still retains the functionality (and nifty addons) of FF.
Flock!
I use Flock 2.
Flock all the way. It’s the only browser I’ve ever been passionate about. I’ve even gone onto CNET and commented everytime they bring up Chrome, making sure to mention Flock. Thank you 30 Day Challenge for introducing me.
Go Flock Go!