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Reversal: Next IE divorced from new Windows
February 15, 2005 -
Firefox cutting into IE's lead
November 22, 2004 -
Mozilla releases Firefox 1.0
November 9, 2004
That's the message this week from the Mozilla Foundation, whose Web browser Firefox has surpassed 25 million downloads in 100 days.
Mozilla, which released the free 1.0 program in November, says an average of 250,000 people download Firefox every day and more than half a million Web sites feature Firefox promotions. The group promotes the program as an alternative to Microsoft's Internet Explorer, which has become a target for computer virus writers and other security exploits.
"What was just a small flame 100 days ago has since exploded into a phenomenal demonstration of the power of open source," lead Firefox architect Blake Ross wrote on a blog. "Tens of thousands of devoted users and fans are a powerful and capable force of change."
Mozilla developed the program using donations and an army of volunteer programmers, many of whom are presumably bent on challenging the dominance of IE. People downloaded more than 8 million copies of the test version of Firefox before the November launch.
Microsoft has been defensive about Internet Explorer, denying that it's more vulnerable to bugs than other browser programs. Yet the company made a surprise move this week, unveiling plans to release a new version of IE independently of an upcoming release of Windows so that it can more quickly fix security problems.
The growing popularity of Firefox may have spurred the move, some industry observers said. Recent surveys show that Microsoft's market share in Web browsers, while still huge, is slipping.
Mozilla, an open-source software foundation formed by Netscape, was spun off from Time Warner in 2003.
See more CNET content tagged:
Mozilla Corp., Firefox, download, open source, Microsoft Internet Explorer
I only use IE6 for website testing. This brings me to the main
reason why I'm behind the migration to Firefox: IE6 rendering
bugs. It has more CSS rendering issues than any other browser
I've used. Truly pathetic, considering IE5 for Mac, an older
program, fairs much better. It's the #1 bane of any standards-
compliant web developer's life. I really wish more articles would
illustrate this point. IE6 is single-handedly holding back the
proliferation of standardized web code, and it needs to be
phased out (won't happen, I know, but I can dream).
even the IE 7 will be 100% W3C compliant with CSS or even PNG
support. Microsoft is hindering the standards in development of
cross-platform websites buy forcing developers to use their
standards. I'm happy with the ease of expandability that Firefox
provides with its developer extensions a must for any developer.
As a Mac user I am happy with Firefox as it opens up sites that I
could not view with IE Mac or Safari. I hope development of open
source technologies such as Firefox and their sibling apps help
promote awareness of there is another way than the Microsoft
way.
Just my two cents.
The support for additional CSS2 and the Alpha-Channel in .PNGs is going to keep me using other browsers. Microsoft is far behind the curve in those respects. The extensions are like icing on the cake, they've given me customizable mouse gestures, flash block, and a spell checker for web forms.
What it boils down to is that Microsoft, by not being more standards compliant, has merely denied its entire massive market share new features. I don't know where they think they're going with that.
In the historical context though IE 4 was as much of a step above Netscape 4 as Firefox is above IE 6. Let's just hope that MS not only makes the necessary improvements to IE but that they also push it to enough people that we can retire all the old hacks required to make web pages work with the current version of IE.
proliferation of standardized web code...>>
In other words... 90% of the worlds computer users are resisting standards that are working in 5%-10% of the worlds computers. So the 90% should be shut down and replaced with something better.
How is this logical? This "standards" argument is making me weary. Some small group of people gets together and designs specifications they deem to be "standards" and the rest of the world must adapt and comply? Why? 90% of the world has an effective solution. How is it good to disrupt a 90% population for the principles of a single small organization?
I only use IE6 for website testing. This brings me to the main
reason why I'm behind the migration to Firefox: IE6 rendering
bugs. It has more CSS rendering issues than any other browser
I've used. Truly pathetic, considering IE5 for Mac, an older
program, fairs much better. It's the #1 bane of any standards-
compliant web developer's life. I really wish more articles would
illustrate this point. IE6 is single-handedly holding back the
proliferation of standardized web code, and it needs to be
phased out (won't happen, I know, but I can dream).
even the IE 7 will be 100% W3C compliant with CSS or even PNG
support. Microsoft is hindering the standards in development of
cross-platform websites buy forcing developers to use their
standards. I'm happy with the ease of expandability that Firefox
provides with its developer extensions a must for any developer.
As a Mac user I am happy with Firefox as it opens up sites that I
could not view with IE Mac or Safari. I hope development of open
source technologies such as Firefox and their sibling apps help
promote awareness of there is another way than the Microsoft
way.
Just my two cents.
The support for additional CSS2 and the Alpha-Channel in .PNGs is going to keep me using other browsers. Microsoft is far behind the curve in those respects. The extensions are like icing on the cake, they've given me customizable mouse gestures, flash block, and a spell checker for web forms.
What it boils down to is that Microsoft, by not being more standards compliant, has merely denied its entire massive market share new features. I don't know where they think they're going with that.
In the historical context though IE 4 was as much of a step above Netscape 4 as Firefox is above IE 6. Let's just hope that MS not only makes the necessary improvements to IE but that they also push it to enough people that we can retire all the old hacks required to make web pages work with the current version of IE.
proliferation of standardized web code...>>
In other words... 90% of the worlds computer users are resisting standards that are working in 5%-10% of the worlds computers. So the 90% should be shut down and replaced with something better.
How is this logical? This "standards" argument is making me weary. Some small group of people gets together and designs specifications they deem to be "standards" and the rest of the world must adapt and comply? Why? 90% of the world has an effective solution. How is it good to disrupt a 90% population for the principles of a single small organization?
Only such a person would dismiss such a accomplishment as 25 million downloads and simply focus on WAHHHH They are reporting on FireFox. WAHHHHHHH. Grow up.
But anyone with half a brain has already stopped using IE and has Firefox, Opera, or another decent browser, so it makes sense that technology advocates at CNet would tell people to switch to another browser from IE.
Microsoft = MicroEvil.
Robert
Only such a person would dismiss such a accomplishment as 25 million downloads and simply focus on WAHHHH They are reporting on FireFox. WAHHHHHHH. Grow up.
But anyone with half a brain has already stopped using IE and has Firefox, Opera, or another decent browser, so it makes sense that technology advocates at CNet would tell people to switch to another browser from IE.
Microsoft = MicroEvil.
Robert
have a nice day
www.getfirefox.com
have a nice day
www.getfirefox.com
The article didn't say anything about people still using the browser just that it was downloaded 25 Million times. Though several sites have reported significate increases in people visiting their sites with Firefox (Google being one of them).
"I'm Not!"
Good for you.
I have used IE, Netscape, Opera, Mozilla, and Firefox. I have taken the time to learn each one. I don't use IE because of the potential for security risk, lack of any real standards support, and blatent neglect of IE. I don't use Netscape, Opera, or Mozilla because they do more than I really need. To me Firefox was a godsend. I figure spyware and other assorted security problems will show up with Firefox one of these days, but they will probably have less impact on Firefox than those that have hit IE.
I have come to the conclusion that most of the people here are just trying to inflame sides. This reminds me of when Windows over came DOS back in the day. People don't really make any good arguments one way or the other. They just resort to name calling and BS.
I really like it when people say they downloaded a non IE browser and then say how bad it was. I think, if they did at all, downloaded it with the intention of putting it down. This reminds me of a computer store that is hung up on Microsoft. They are very blatent about their dislike of anything non-Microsoft. Then they tell me they tried Linux and how crappy it was. You know what though, they never tried to learn how to use it. They just downloaded it installed it and then bashed it.
The article didn't say anything about people still using the browser just that it was downloaded 25 Million times. Though several sites have reported significate increases in people visiting their sites with Firefox (Google being one of them).
"I'm Not!"
Good for you.
I have used IE, Netscape, Opera, Mozilla, and Firefox. I have taken the time to learn each one. I don't use IE because of the potential for security risk, lack of any real standards support, and blatent neglect of IE. I don't use Netscape, Opera, or Mozilla because they do more than I really need. To me Firefox was a godsend. I figure spyware and other assorted security problems will show up with Firefox one of these days, but they will probably have less impact on Firefox than those that have hit IE.
I have come to the conclusion that most of the people here are just trying to inflame sides. This reminds me of when Windows over came DOS back in the day. People don't really make any good arguments one way or the other. They just resort to name calling and BS.
I really like it when people say they downloaded a non IE browser and then say how bad it was. I think, if they did at all, downloaded it with the intention of putting it down. This reminds me of a computer store that is hung up on Microsoft. They are very blatent about their dislike of anything non-Microsoft. Then they tell me they tried Linux and how crappy it was. You know what though, they never tried to learn how to use it. They just downloaded it installed it and then bashed it.
- A reason to support alternatives.
- by unknown unknown February 18, 2005 11:54 AM PST
- Even if you don't like Firefox etc any thing that gets other companies to improve their products and compete with each other is good for end-users. Microsoft has announced a new version of IE, possibly as and attempt to curb the switch to Firefox which has been driven, at least in part, by the lack of any serious development on IE.
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