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IE loses evern more market share
- Thread starter AntoneM
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Hmm. Good point.explodet said:
How exactly is this hurting Microsoft?
The only thing I can really think of is that, with less of a grip on the market, MS won't be able to enforce their own browser standards (e.g. HTML stuff) as much. But other than that, I can't think of how this is really hurting MS.
It's not like IE generates any profits directly. And it's not like people are buying Windows for IE.
dem said:
That's not the point... Windows was already a few strong OS before IE took over the #1 spot... and there are various arguments as to how exactly IE became #1... the long and short of my comment though was that Netscape did little or nothing to acknowledge the increase in marketshare that IE slowly at first took... but at the end it was too late....
As for MS's lock on the OS world.... solid for now... changing? Maybe... definitely VERY slowly right now.
Mama Smurf
My penis is still intact.
bionic77 said:
I was reluctant for a while (eventually changed to Opera a couple of years ago) because I just didn't understand how easy it was going to be to switch.
I thought I'd have to learn how to use a whole new system, but they basically all work the same way and are very intuitive. When people say "Use Firefox instead of IE", they need to add "they both work the same way, you won't have a problem".
Agent Icebeezy
Welcome beautful toddler, Madison Elizabeth, to the horde!
I love Firefox to death, my browser of choice. If Microsoft wanted to crush this though, they could
well i haven't got any suggestions, just a comment. I don't have any problems with browsing the web on FF, but when it comes to configuring my ADSL modem through its web interface FF doesn't work like it should (diagnostics take 10-15 minutes). IE however works fine with the web interface (diagnostics take a minute or two). I guess some things are developed only with IE in mind.Interlude said:
Seth C said:
That's fine. But I've just about had it with IE. A few days ago, a friend was using my system, loaded IE, and I shit you not - within about five minutes - some jackass backdoor trojan got into my machine. Because (apparently), my buddy likes to blindly hit "yes" to every ActiveX download warning.
Anyway, I brought the hammer down on my network connection, my firewall - thankfully - didn't let "xhrmy.exe" talk to the Internet anyway, and I let McAfee AV and AdAware do their thing in safe mode, with my computer physically unplugged from the router just to be safe. Now, I don't even so much as let IE go to Microsoft.com without my firewall jumping in and saying "Heya boss, you wanna let this monkey fly, or what?" Completely, utterly locked down. The only reason I haven't tried to find some hack to completely tear it off of my system is because I need it for Windows updates.
But by all means, if you'd like to play with the technological equivalent of a dog with rabies, be my guest. Just don't say we didn't warn you when it bites.
JoshuaJSlone
Member
How?Agent Icebeezy said:
Pochacco said:Hmm. Good point.
How exactly is this hurting Microsoft?
The only thing I can really think of is that, with less of a grip on the market, MS won't be able to enforce their own browser standards (e.g. HTML stuff) as much. But other than that, I can't think of how this is really hurting MS.
It's not like IE generates any profits directly. And it's not like people are buying Windows for IE.
One story around the launch of Firefox in a national (UK) paper mentioned that you could look at MS's home market as 3 portions - the OS, the Office software suite and the browser. All 3 of these have valid OSS challengers (for anyone wondering: Linux, Open Office and Firefox). If a person tries one of these and finds they can get on with it OK, they may be tempted to look for and try out more open source software.
(I'm not saying this is going to bring MS down, just repeating the argument).
Also, to those who think 5% is not a lot... This is 5% of a great many people using the web. IE's market share continues downward and I'd think that it's the kind of drop that's going to accelerate - as the word spreads, more people are going to use it and I think most people's experience of it is going to be positive.
There may be some resistance at first (I was resistant and I'm on a Computing degree) so people need a reason to keep trying through that initial stage of bewilderment with the new. Thankfully, Microsoft have given them a reason with the numerous exploits of IE. People will argue that that's user error and I may go along with that argument except that it's user naivety/inexperience. If they don't know how to run IE safely, they probably don't know how to deal with setting up a firewall (or configuring a program to run with a firewall installed), or even something as keeping a virus checker up to date! Exploit-wise, I think it's telling how MS bought a anti-spyware software outfit and released their own tool. Free of charge - for the moment of course
But still, as long as people are using computers without wanting to fully educate themselves about how to use one properly, MS are going to run and run.
COCKLES said:
Huh? The EU went after MS for Windows Media Player, not IE. It's not that any competitor has a PROBLEM with MS having competiting products... it's the fact that MS use Windows to BUNDLE said products thereby immediately give it more "views" than competiting products....
The mentality is that "we could care less if the product is better, but market it on it's own so that people get a chance to at least KNOW there are alternative products out there".
FortNinety
Member
Timbuktu said:
I still get errors in Safari. Video Fenky for example.
And for those still using IE on a Mac, what the fuck is your problem?!?!
No doubt about it, FireFox is certainly a better browser for the normal useage, but coders wont like the stability problem it has with multiple tabs all closing when it crashes.... DOh
But it's fine with me since I don't have to worry with coding, although I'm sure once market share starts to rise more, the geeks and ass clowns who run pron/warez sites will start to figure their way into this open source browser.
Untill then I'm enjoying the hell out of it's security.
But it's fine with me since I don't have to worry with coding, although I'm sure once market share starts to rise more, the geeks and ass clowns who run pron/warez sites will start to figure their way into this open source browser.
Untill then I'm enjoying the hell out of it's security.
JoshuaJSlone
Member
I know I've been using Firefox longer than that.Society said:
If you're talking about the latest version with popup blocking and increased security features, i agree for the most part. But Firefox, Opera, and Safari all offer features that IE doesn't. If you only stopped at tabs, you'd have reason enough for a lot of people to switch. i can't speak for Safari since i don't use it much, but Opera has integrated web browsing, email, news, chat and more, and while Firefox is initially barebones in comparison, it's use of extensions makes it extremely flexible and powerful. Both offer more stuff than the average user will ever use, but with features that improve usability like tabs and gestures and improved security, i can't find too many reasons not to switch.SKluck said:
SKluck said:
IE working fine isn't the problem, it's the door to your PC that IE leaves wide open for unsuspecting users.. hell even the latest version still lets shit in... I know one day a week is easily lost to having to run spyware detectors on various PC's at work because someone followed a search link to a site to get some lyrics, etc... and the next thing the know the XXXToolbar or some other such piece of crap has found it's way on to their machine.... some of these damn things even block ip connections a big indicator is when users launch AutoCad and it can't connect to the license server... spyware each and every time.
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