Microsoft’s web browser, Internet Explorer, has been losing popularity, after figures showed that it accounted for around 56 per cent of the market browser share in January, a drop of 4.74 per cent.
According to the statistics, released by Net Applications, Explorer’s performance last month was the worst Microsoft had ever seen, The Register reported.
Its decrease in users could be attributed to the growing number of surfers opting to use Google’s Chrome browser instead, as its market share grew by 0.72 per cent in January, rising to 10 per cent for the first time since it was released. Furthermore, it seems Chrome has in fact overtaken fellow browser, Safari (Apple’s offering) by 3.7 per cent; and Mozilla’s Firefox accounted for 22.72 per cent of the market.
One expert has said that although Explorer’s drop does not seem all that significant, it demonstrates the ever-changing trends prevalent in internet usage, and could strike the beginning of the end for Microsoft’s browsing capabilities.
Writing for The Inquirer, Asavin Wattanajantra, said: “This [Explorer's drop] may not sound like a lot, but it means millions of users are leaving Microsoft for other web browsers. For Microsoft and Internet Explorer, the outlook looks pretty bleak, unless the new version coming out this year really does well.”
Explorer’s latest version, 9.0, is expected to be released sometime over the next few months, and will be joined by Mozilla Firefox Four, which is set to hit screens in late February. However they will both have to work hard to compete with Chrome’s increasing band of followers.
It is thought Google has invested significantly in its online marketing, prompting more and more of the public to check it out and compare its performance to Explorers’. Wattanajantra added: “Google’s Chrome can only become more popular, with heavy marketing by the company persuading non-techies that is another option they can choose.”
