All Entries Tagged With: "internet explorer"

Internet Explorer Turns 15 Today

The internet’s come a long way, and so have the tools that allow us to take advantage of what the web has to offer. Today, one of those tools celebrates its 15th birthday. If you haven’t already guessed by the titles of the post or the logo above, it’s Internet Explorer.

Internet Explorer 1 launched on the 16th of August, 1995. Microsoft began bundling in Internet Explorer with Windows operation system installs beginning with Internet Explorer 3 — and from there, things went uphill.

Today, the browser holds approximately 60.74% market share, as competing browsers like Firefox, Chrome, Safari, and Opera race to get as much market share as possible.

Windows Phone 7 Might Not Support HTML5

It appears that the newest mobile platform by Microsoft — Windows Phone 7 — might not support the now popular HTML5. During a press conference in Hamburg, Germany, Microsoft Germany Technical Evangelist for Windows Phone & Windows Embedded Frank Prengel indicated that the Redmond, Washington-based company has not concrete plans to include HTML5 support on the upcoming Windows Phone 7 platform.

Prengel demonstrated the new Internet Explorer 7/Internet Explorer 8 hybrid on Windows Phone 7. He stated that the operating system will support Flash only until Adobe makes a suitable final version available, which could take up to six months.

Internet Explorer is Making A Comeback — Gains Market Share

It would appears as if Internet Explorer is making a comeback. According to a report by Aliso Viejo, California-based web analytics firm Net Applications, Internet Explorer has been gaining some market share during the past couple of months. As a matter of fact, the browser gained a total of 0.42% in July alone. Firefox, on the other hand, has been losing market share. Just last month, the browser by Mozilla lost 0.9% market share.

When it comes to other browsers, Google Chrome saw a 0.8% decrease during the same period, while Safari gained 0.24% of the market share.

Internet Explorer 6 Losing Market Share Fast

To many, Internet Explorer 6 is already dead. The browser is antiquated, old, and chock full of vulnerabilities. Individuals have moved on by either updating to a new version of Internet Explorer or adopting a new browser. According to a new report by web analytics company StatCounter, Internet Explorer 6 is now used by only 4.7% of individuals in the United States. In comparison, the browser had 11.5% of the market share one year ago.

Now, while Internet Explorer 6 is losing market share fast, it appears that its Internet Explorer 8 counterpart is gaining ground. StatCounter reports that IE8 usage increase from 8.5% to 30.49% in a  one-year period between May 2009 and May 2010. This suggests that when it comes to browsers, Microsoft is not doing really bad after all.

IE, Opera Lose Global Browser Market Share, Chrome, Safari, Firefox Gain

It would appear as if Internet Explorer is continuing to lose market share, according to data from Net Applications. Microsoft’s browser is considered to be the most popular on Earth, thanks to the fact that it ships with every copy of Windows (except for Windows in Europe, thanks to a recent antitrust case). Latest figures put a 0.70% drop in market share for Microsoft’s IE from March to April. Also taking a tumble is Opera Software’s Opera browser, dropping 0.07% in global market share.

Mozilla’s Firefox, Apple’s Safari, and Google’s Chrome browsers all saw jumps in global market share, with both Safari and Firefox seeing an increase of 0.07% from March to April, and Google’s Chrome seeing a whopping 0.60% increase in the same time period.

Seemingly, users on the web are discovering that there are other options other than Internet Explorer, and that’s certainly a great thing. Stay tuned for more figures.

[ via Ars Technica ]

Opera Software Accuses Microsoft of Blocking Ballot-Screen With IE

Opera Software — makers of the popular Opera browser — is once again causing some trouble for Microsoft. The Norwegian-based company told The Register that the browser-ballot screen introduced by Microsoft is covered almost completely with an Internet Explorer configuration wizard [pictured], thereby lowering the chances that people will pick up a browser other than Internet Explorer. “When you’ve been through the 10 screens of IE settings, you are limited with what you can be bothered doing next,” said Opera Software Chief Technology Officer Håkon Wium Lie. Microsoft, on the other hand, believes such situation could never really take place outside a simulation laboratory.

Internet Explorer Losing Market Share In Europe

Washington-based Microsoft Corp. is reportedly seeing a loss in market share in Europe after the implementation of the browser ballot screen, introduced amid intense legal controversy surrounding Microsoft’s “unhealthy” amount of web browser market share — a direct result of loading Internet Explorer stock on all new installations of Windows, the world’s most popular consumer operating system. In particular, the company is losing market share in France, the United Kingdom, and Italy.

Windows Phone 7 to Use Mobile Version of Internet Explorer 7 as Browser

While speaking in the Microsoft keynote at the MIX 2010 developer conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, Corporate Vice President and Director of Windows Phone Program Management Joe Belfiore revealed that the Windows Phone 7 browser will be a mobile version of Internet Explorer based on components from both versions 7 and 8.

Belfiore explained that the Windows Phone 7 browser takes rendering code from Internet Explorer 7 to optimize low-memory situations, while other features have been back ported from Internet Explorer 8. Similarities from both desktop browsers are very apparent that Belfiore jokingly expressed that Microsoft could even name the WP7 browser: Internet Explorer 7.5.

Microsoft: More Internet Explorer Vulnerabilities Discovered

Amid beginning the distribution several important patches from Microsoft Office, Microsoft Movie Maker, and Microsoft Producer 2003, Microsoft is warning Internet Explorer users of a new “zero-day” vulnerability discovered on the world’s most popular web browser.

The exploit, according to Microsoft, is already being taken advantage of on the internet, though attacks appear to be targeted. Systems susceptible to attack include Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 4, and Internet Explorer 6 along with Internet Explorer 7. Microsoft notes that “Internet Explorer 8 and Internet Explorer 5.01 Service Pack 4 on Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 are not affected,” according to CRN.