Firefox Appears Ready to Crack 20% Share Next Month

CWmike writes "Mozilla's Firefox browser is on pace to hit the 20% market-share mark next month. Net Applications marketing VP Vince Vizzaccaro didn't pin all of Firefox's increase on a change last month to its update dialog; he did note the new approach. 'Mozilla has implemented a change in Firefox 3.0 [Release Candidate 1] where the installation now has a checkbox that defaults to making Firefox your default browser,' he explained. He refused to ding Mozilla for the practice. 'The option is clearly displayed and labeled, unlike Safari, which misleadingly labeled the Safari install as an "update" [but has] since correctly changed to an 'install.' However, this practice is a break from the traditional practice browsers employed of defaulting this option to off.'"

Comments

What's the RIGHT number?

[_bug_]

Firefox @ 16%
Firefox @ 18%
Firefox @ 40%

So which one is right?

Re:What's the RIGHT number?

[Jellybob]

Depends which segment of internet users you're looking at.

Certainly the w3schools is probably wildly off for the majority of internet users, since the people visiting the site are probably involved in web design or development, and are far more likely to be using a different web browser.

Re:What's the RIGHT number?

[JustinOpinion]

It's impossible to pick one right number... because it depends on many things. For one thing, the demographics for different sites are different, and there is undoubtedly a correlation between personal interests and selection of web-browser.

Wikipedia does a good job of summarizing the numbers. An overall share of 15% to 30% seems reasonable.

All that to say: I wouldn't worry too much about the exact numbers. What's more significant is the trends that can be seen across data-sets. Firefox had a rapid rise in popularity early on, but that leveled off. Rather than focus on an arbitrary threshold, like "breaks 20%!", I think the real story here is that Firefox usage continues to grow. Slowly but steadily the browser market is becoming more balanced.

This is significant, because a few years back, there was a real browser monopoly. I remember using the Firefox pre-1.0 betas, and many sites didn't work (they were tailor-made for IE). Nowadays, the vast majority of sites render perfectly in Firefox.

This is one of those cases where I think we won. Websites are more compliant than they once were. Alternate browsers are taken seriously. This is what we clamored for a few years ago... and we've largely achieved it!

Re:Default Browser

[Anonymous Coward]

When you click on an html file or a link in some other program, the default browser is opened.

installation (and 'since correctly changed'?)

[Animaether]

"the installation now has a checkbox that defaults to making Firefox your default browser"

It's an installation of a browser. Why would you -not-
1. Offer the option to make it the default browser
and
2. Have that option pre-selected.

I would expect a browser to do this. I would expect an image viewer to present me with the option to change image file associations and have those checked by default, a music player to associate MP3s, etc. -On installation-.

I don't want this happening when you simply start the application (I'm looking at you, Outlook).

"unlike Safari, which misleadingly labeled the Safari install as an "update"(1) [but has] since correctly changed to an 'install.'".
Great, so the Apple update checking thingy now has two sections(2). One for actual updates, and one below that for -completely unrelated applications- to be peddled onto your machine. Still selected by default.

No longer labeling it as an 'update' is a good step, but it's not the major gripe with this practice in the first place.

1) http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee248/msanto/One-Offs%202008/AppleUpdateSafari.jpg
2) http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee248/msanto/One-Offs%202008/AppleUpdateSafari2.jpg

Please, please, please Mozilla... don't start peddling Thunderbird to Firefox users in the update checks; or if you do, make sure it's -not selected- by default.

Re:So ...

[MightyYar]

I don't really see the big deal. Most programs make themselves the "handler" for whatever file type they support by default upon install. Quicktime, MS Media Player, and Real all do this with media files. Every photo viewer I've ever installed does this with image files.

It's especially innocuous here, because if you accidentally make Firefox your default, IE will simply ask you if you would like to make IT the default browser upon the next run (with the default again checked "yes").

Re:Default Browser

[J_DarkElf]

And on XP and Vista, the default browser is also registered in the start menu as the 'internet' application. Which means it gets the top icon in the left row of the default setup.

And any program which follows the guidelines will launch it, and not a hardcoded internet explorer.

Re:Well, isn't that ironic?

[moderatorrater]

Because IE's a bitch to develop with. On a javascript error, it tells you the correct line number but it can't tell you which file it's in. It doesn't allow anywhere near the quality of plugins that firefox does, so it doesn't get firebug, greasemonkey, etc. Finally, IE doesn't comply with the standards very well, so it's a lot harder to get the site looking how you want it to. With firefox, when you make a change you can know fairly well what that change is going to do. When you're developing a site and making a lot of changes and tweaks, it's important to have a browser that you can work with. Converting the final product to something IE can render is a lot easier to working with IE the entire way.

OT Mod comment

[Bill, Shooter of Bul]

That comment isn't informative, its inquisitive, which should be a mod option.

Re:OT Mod comment

[Tranzistors]

If the question is good and is worth other people attention, it should be modded "interesting".

Re:Default Browser

[pablomme]

And any program which follows the guidelines will launch it, and not a hardcoded internet explorer. Like Windows Live Messenger, which pops up IE regardless of the default browser setting. One would think that WL Messenger, being written by Microsoft, would be more aware of system settings and their intended effects..

Re:Default Browser

[DCstewieG]

One would think that WL Messenger, being written by Microsoft, would be more aware of system settings and their intended effects.. A cynic might imagine they understand this quite well.

1. Casual Firefox user clicks link from friend
2. IE opens asking if it should be set as the default
3. An IE user is reborn

I suppose this list replaces the ??? between "ignore system setting" and "Profit!"

That would be an odd setup

[GameboyRMH]

If you're switching away from IE, you might as well switch away from its annoying pet chihuahua WL Messenger. There are SO many alternatives out there...GAIM, Miranda, Pidgin, and Trillian (free edition) come to mind...

Re:Well, isn't that ironic?

[Anonymous Coward]

This is why.

Slashdot browser usage distribution??

[BlackCreek]

Yo,Taco!

Where, and when are we getting to see the browser usage distribution of Slashdot?

I bet you could have one of those stories with more than 1000 posts by publishing it in the "Taco Blog", and linking to it.

It would probably be very interesting to see how (if?) the distribution varies depending on section (games, linux, mac etc).

Re:LOOK! LISTEN! HEED!

[Dallas Caley]

I totally agree

Internet Explorer is simply the best tool ever (for downloading Firefox) i wouldn't even think of using anything else

Wait... what was the question?