Firefox overtakes Internet Explorer 6

[toadeater]

The most important point of this article is that IE leads only amongst mainstream users. Mainstream numbers compared to numbers for tech sites like Ars are a completely different story:

Smart people use Firefox.

[+Neyht Subscriber²]

It's still an achievement nevertheless.

Not really. It was eventually going to happen. If you say this is an achievment, then you would have to also say that Firefox beating internet explorer five is an achievment.

Firefox 6 will probably surpass ie7 installs.

[KeeperOfThePizza]

How does Safari have 21% ? I'm assuming that's including windows users running safari

[M_Lyons10]

I'm sad to see so many people using IE6. This is why we can't use transparent PNG's without worry...

Yeah. I just can't believe how many people still stick with that... Every time I see usage statistics I'm in awe... I just installed Windows 98 in one of my virtual machines and had to update to IE6 (Firefox doesn't support Windows 98 unfortunately). I was amazed at just how bad it was. I don't remember it being THAT bad... I don't understand why you wouldn't upgrade really, unless you're OS is really that old...

I don't really see this as a milestone though.

How does Safari have 21% ? I'm assuming that's including windows users running safari

It must. But that still seems very high to me...

[Growled Member]

Smart people use Firefox.

I'm smart. :p

[KeeperOfThePizza]

http://marketshare.hitslink.com/report.asp...=M&qpsp=129

That's of October 2009, I'm guessing November isn't out yet..but still no way Safari has gained 21% and Internet Explorer has dropped from 64% in that little of time.

[Ci7]

http://marketshare.hitslink.com/report.asp...=M&qpsp=129

That's of October 2009, I'm guessing November isn't out yet..but still no way Safari has gained 21% and Internet Explorer has dropped from 64% in that little of time.

dude , Safari got 21% marketshare of only Ars techinca website. not overall as hitslink

[KeeperOfThePizza]

dude , Safari got 21% marketshare of only Ars techinca website. not overall as hitslink

oh hahaha.

[revvo]

So you're comparing all of Firefox usage to one version of IE? Why not compare Firefox 2 (or 1 if you want to go back 2 versions) to IE6. It seems like juggling numbers just to claim a fake milestone.

Mozilla has had far better success pushing updates to Mozilla users than Microsoft. IE6 is still very common out there in the workplace.

The reason is because of lame management that does not want to update certain things, since "it works. why fix it?".

[LingeringSoul]

The reason is because of lame management that does not want to update certain things, since "it works. why fix it?".

Pretty much. At my sister's workplace, they still have IE6 installed on their computers, and the IS policy doesn't allow them to install another browser in its place. Thankfully, most companies seem to be switching to IE7/8, so at least IE6 is on its way out, albeit slowly.

[kaffra]

How does Safari have 21% ? I'm assuming that's including windows users running safari

im guessing its also from some of us reading ars thru the iphone/ipod touch

[Subject Delta]

Smart people use Firefox.

That's a pretty demeaning and insulting statement. I for one use Opera, but I know plenty of smart people that still use IE (granted not IE6). Despite what its proponents claim, Firefox is not some magic barrier to viruses and spyware, its about the user, and a stupid user will be able to infect themselves with ANY browser.