STUDY: Internet Explorer Users Are Dumber


Recommended Posts

A research firm posted an IQ test on its Web site and then compiled the results from more than 100' date='000 users.

It found that there was no substantial difference between users of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Opera.

But Internet Explorer users had IQs below average.

That's a switch from five years ago, when IQs were more or less the same across all browsers. The company, Aptiquant, bills itself as a "psychometric consultant." Its main business is creating tests to help businesses hire well.

Now before all you Opera users get too satisfied with yourselves, there are lots of possible reasons why IE users scored so low:

  • IE has about twice the installed base of any other browser, so IQs are more likely to tend toward the mean.
  • IE is the default browser of 95% of people who don't know how to download and install a new browser, which drags down the average. (Mac users in this boat stick with Safari.)
  • People who use other browsers include a disproportionate number of computer geeks, which brings their averages up.
  • Online IQ tests -- or IQ tests in general -- are silly.
  • IE users really are kind of dumb.

...

Source: http://www.aptiquant.com/news/is-internet-explorer-for-the-dumb-a-new-study-suggests-exactly-that/

The full report can be downloaded at: http://www.aptiquant.com/IQ-Browser-AptiQuant-2011.pdf

Try being a web developer and you'll see why IE is an inferior browser.

P.S. I use Firefox and Chrome (depending on the situation). Firefox has a lot of cool grease monkey scripts and plugins. Chrome is fast but the plugins are not as good as Firefox IMO.

A research firm posted an IQ test on its Web site and then compiled the results from more than 100,000 users.

It found that there was no substantial difference between users of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Opera.

But Internet Explorer users had IQs below average.

That's a switch from five years ago, when IQs were more or less the same across all browsers. The company, Aptiquant, bills itself as a "psychometric consultant." Its main business is creating tests to help businesses hire well.

Now before all you Opera users get too satisfied with yourselves, there are lots of possible reasons why IE users scored so low:

?IE has about twice the installed base of any other browser, so IQs are more likely to tend toward the mean.

?IE is the default browser of 95% of people who don't know how to download and install a new browser, which drags down the average. (Mac users in this boat stick with Safari.)

?People who use other browsers include a disproportionate number of computer geeks, which brings their averages up.

?Online IQ tests -- or IQ tests in general -- are silly.

?IE users really are kind of dumb.

Great article :) Yes the study says that IE users are dumber but it shows some reasoning why and things of the study.

Greate article :) Neowin sometimes should write article this way :)

That was true in the past, not so much with IE9.

Still holds true. Try viewing http://www.themeparkhype.com/ and tell me what you see different?

Great article :) Yes the study says that IE users are dumber but it shows some reasoning why and things of the study.

Greate article :) Neowin sometimes should write article this way :)

Yup, that's there finding with IQ and a possible explanation as to why. The conclusion of the report says more study is needed. But it's interesting that 5 years ago the IQ's were not that different from people that use different browsers.

Still holds true. Try viewing http://www.themeparkhype.com/ and tell me what you see different?

When viewing in IE9 and FF5, each browser displays a different header photo (both are very blurry and distorted) and IE9 shows the login button as a rectangle while FF5 shows it as rounded edges......however, FF5 shows very poor formatting around the edges (some odd borders) while IE9 does not. Not sure which is correct, but the site looks odd either way.

I wouldn't take offense just because you use IE. This article is biased in that IE is preinstalled on the vast majority of computers. Now the "dumb" people don't even know what a browser is, let alone have the knowledge to know there are other options for browsers to download.

If Firefox came preloaded on every version of Windows then it would be deemed the browsers choice for idiots.

I dont agree with the dumb thing ... though I tend to agree with the fact that there are people out there that would open a browser and if google.com is not present would call in saying the internet is not working and moreso, if google.com is presen then they would type cnn.com webpage so ......... use whatever you want really, but know or be familiar with some other options

I wouldnt say "dumb", more like "Computer illiterate".

The ammount of times I get called over to fix a parents computer, open IE and see this.

Wow :blink:

I've seen a lot of toolbars installed, but that is just ridiculous.

But I know the routine, you try to inform your parents to watch the dialog boxes when they're installing software because you need to untick the boxes for toolbars, but it goes in one ear and out the other.

I wouldnt say "dumb", more like "Computer illiterate".

The ammount of times I get called over to fix a parents computer, open IE and see this.

................

They aren't illiterate, they are trying to stay updated like in matrix, look, they've got all great features in one place - latest sport news, aol radio listening with one button click, Popswatter, Fun cards, latest news, weather and a lot more just with one button click! Fast and reliable! Ain't required to type the address!

I use Internet Explorer 9 as my primary browser and that is by choice.

I don't see how this makes me looks any dumber. Internet Explorer 9 is a very capable browser.

yes very capable ... it is just not for everyone as I amsure very few would use a command line type browser to surf porn

It's funny, people will respond to this and go "omigosh its sooooooooo true im so smrat 4 not use ie". But go and post thread a thread saying that the Norwegian gunman used x browser, so people who use that browser are more likely to be neo-nazis...

Guaranteed 30+ page ragefest decrying the article and how such observations are stupid and how untrue they are.

An enormously big majority of enterprise use IE. I don't think they're dumb wacko.gif

I would. Our IT guy didn't questioned what is VMWare and why is it installed on my machine? I told him to leave and ask your supervisor that question.

I wouldnt say "dumb", more like "Computer illiterate".

The ammount of times I get called over to fix a parents computer, open IE and see this.

iemess211.jpg

damn you. I wanted to post that.

I use IE.... to download firefox.

It's the best for doing that. No doubt.

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Posts

    • They thought value of their goods would forever only drop like it used to and didn't account for sudden increase in price because of all the Ai hype. Tough luck Samsung, don't try to weasel this one out. Also American customer protection laws are a**. In Europe, you need to be compensated for a functioning product of same or better characteristics (not same price point as when it was originally bought!) if it can't be repaired and when you receive a replacement product your warranty starts from scratch because you received a different item than you previously had and old warranty thus cannot apply to it anymore. If your actual item was successfully repaired, warranty gets extended for the period the item was in service. If item is repaired to a significant extent, warranty also starts over from scratch because major part of it was replaced. Americans need to fight to get this kind of consumer protections because they are constantly getting screwed over.
    • Microsoft releases new Windows 11 Media Creation Tool with the latest updates by Taras Buria Patch Tuesday updates arrive every month, bringing users new features and security updates. To make sure customers have access to the most recent images, Microsoft also releases updates to the Media Creation Tool app, its official utility for Windows 11 installation. Today, the company pushed new ISOs to Media Creation Tool, allowing you to create images with the June 2026 Patch Tuesday updates. With the latest update, the Media Creation Tool now downloads KB5094126. It is Windows 11 version 25H2, build 26200.8655, which is also available via Windows Update. Note that the app itself remains on the previous version, which you can check in Properties > Details. The only change is that it now downloads a more recent Windows 11 build, so the only way to check is to download an ISO. The June 2026 Patch Tuesday update is a special release for Windows 11, as it brings a new performance profile to make the operating system more responsive and snappier when rendering various user interface surfaces, including the Start menu, quick settings, and more. It does so by spiking processor speeds for a brief moment, resulting in higher loads for a second or two. The so-called “Low latency profile” is rolling out gradually, but you can force-enable it with the ViVeTool app. Other changes include webcam improvements, Task Manager updates, shared audio support, and more. You can download the Media Creation Tool app from the official Microsoft website using this link. Besides MCT, Microsoft lets you download Windows 11 ISO as a file directly from the official Windows 11 website. However, you will need a third-party app to write it to your USB drive. Check out this guide if you want to know how to do that.
    • Louis Rossmann suing Samsung over "990 Pro SSD warranty scam" by Sayan Sen Back in 2023, if you recall, Neowin reviewer Robbie Khan had a dispute with Samsung over his 990 Pro SSD, which was rapidly losing its health. After significant back and forth, the tech giant had finally released firmware to "stop" the issue. Interestingly, its previous flagship at the time, the 980 Pro was also facing problems leading to two consecutive sets of firmware fixes. Three years later, it looks like a similar conflict has now broken out between tech repair entrepreneur YouTuber Louis Rossmann and Samsung, as it has escalated into a threatened lawsuit after the company allegedly refused to appropriately replace a failing 990 Pro SSD that remained under warranty. According to Rossmann, a 4TB Samsung 990 Pro NVMe SSD purchased for approximately $330 less than two years ago, began experiencing major hiccups and issues, even though he claims it had been operated under ideal cooling conditions. It was installed in a RAID 1 array and cooled by a heatsink and dual high-speed fans. However the drive reportedly started dropping out of the array, exhibiting controller-level failures that eventually became not useable in any meaningful way. Rossmann said Samsung’s support process was marked by delays and confusion from the very start. After initially contacting the wrong regional support channel, he was redirected to Samsung’s memory support division where he submitted detailed diagnostics, logs, and proof of purchase. Rossmann runs a repair company and owns an ACE Lab PC-3000 machine, which is a professional-grade data recovery equipment. As such, he had been confident in his diagnostics. Samsung even seemingly acknowledged that later. Regardless, Rossmann claims that his initial support ticket was automatically closed before a full 24-hour response window had elapsed, forcing him to reopen the case and resubmit documentation. The controversy however intensified further from here after Samsung accepted the drive for warranty evaluation but later returned it with a repair report stating that the drive had passed its testing and that the SSD had been verified as functional. Rossmann strongly disputed those claims citing that his own independent testing on PC-3000 showed write speeds reducing to as low as 40–60 MB/s before the drive failed entirely. Samsung subsequently informed him that the SSD had been reset and reflashed, passing internal stress tests. However, the company also stated that replacement units were unavailable due to an industry-wide memory shortage and suggested that a refund process could be initiated if further testing confirmed the fault. Thus, to settle, the company offered a refund of $330, the amount that was initially paid by him to make the purchase. Here, Rossmann pointed out the seeming hypocrisy of the tech giant as in how no Samsung drive was apparently allocated for warranty replacements, but they were abundantly available for retail sales especially when using business accounts. As you can see, Rossmann is indeed right, there are Samsung 990 Pro 4TB SSDs on Amazon currently for $950 (shipped and sold by first-party Amazon US itself), and they are also available on Samsung's own store too, albeit for an even higher price of $1100. Thus Rossmann argues that Samsung’s inability or unwillingness to provide a replacement while the same model remains available for purchase at significantly higher market prices reflects a failure to honor its warranty obligations. He has issued a formal 60-day notice and says he intends to file suit in Texas small claims court, asserting that companies should face greater costs for denying legitimate warranty claims than for fulfilling them. You can check out the full video titled "Samsung's 990 Pro SSD warranty policy is a scam; I'm taking them to court," at the link below. Source and image: Louis Rossmann (YouTube) As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases
    • Was it too much to ask to show the icon in this article?
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      509
    2. 2
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      184
    3. 3
      +Edouard
      158
    4. 4
      Steven P.
      83
    5. 5
      ATLien_0
      75
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!