Microsoft Internet Explorer 8: Mixed Reactions
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Amid a fair bit of anticipation, Microsoft released the latest incarnation of its Internet Explorer browser near the end of March. With Firefox and other browsers nibbling at the company's market share, IE 8 carries a lot of hope – and baggage – on its shoulders. So far, reactions have been mixed.
On the first weekend after its launch, IE 8 seemed not to impress many users. A number of sources in the media commented on the low percentage of downloads. Some sites noted that the new browser accounted for less than two percent of all Internet traffic, and that Firefox 3 did far better on its first weekend of release back in June – which is quite a feat when you consider the comparative market shares of Firefox browsers versus IE browsers.
“I suppose the kindest description of user reaction to IE 8's first public outing would be 'underwhelming,'” noted Aodhan Cullen, CEO of StatCounter, one of largest web site traffic monitoring companies in the world. Cullen went on to say that usage of Firefox 3 more than doubled, from 7.8 percent at beta testing to 18.9 percent over the three-day period following the launch.
And Computerworld noticed a worrying trend for those downloads: Microsoft seems to be growing IE 8's market share at the expense of its older browsers. While the company is no doubt glad to see users of their older products upgrading to the new browser, it isn't just IE 8 whose market share has grown in recent days; its rivals have seen an increase in their market shares as well. While IE saw its market share grow about 0.7 percent after its final code was released, Firefox 3 grew its market share by half a percentage point – as did Apple's Safari 3.2. Even Google's Chrome increased its market share a tiny bit.
Next: IE8 Improvements in Search >>
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