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EU dings Microsoft's IE browser market share, says Statcounter

By | October 5, 2010, 5:19am PDT

Summary: Microsoft’s Internet Explorer market share fell below the 50 percent mark globally for the first time, according to StatCounter.

Microsoft’s Internet Explorer market share fell below the 50 percent mark globally for the first time, according to StatCounter.

StatCounter found that IE market share fell to 49.87 percent worldwide in September. Firefox ended the month with 31.5 percent market share. Google’s Chrome browser surged to 11.54 percent, up from 3.69 percent in September 2009.

StatCounter said that IE’s market share fall globally had a lot to do with the European Commission mandating browser choice. In Europe, IE’s market share is 40.26 percent, down from 46.44 percent a year ago. In North America, IE has a 52.3 percent market share, followed by Firefox at 27.21 percent and Chrome at 9.87 percent.

Net Applications, however, has IE at 60 percent market share.

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Topics

Market Share, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Microsoft Corp., Web Browser, StatCounter, Web Browsers, Internet, Larry Dignan

Larry Dignan is Editor in Chief of ZDNet and SmartPlanet as well as Editorial Director of ZDNet's sister site TechRepublic.

Disclosure

Larry Dignan

Larry Dignan has nothing to disclose. He doesn’t hold investments in the technology companies he covers.

Biography

Larry Dignan

Larry Dignan is Editor in Chief of ZDNet and SmartPlanet as well as Editorial Director of ZDNet's sister site TechRepublic. He was most recently Executive Editor of News and Blogs at ZDNet. Prior to that he was executive news editor at eWeek and news editor at Baseline. He also served as the East Coast news editor and finance editor at CNET News.com. Larry has covered the technology and financial services industry since 1995, publishing articles in WallStreetWeek.com, Inter@ctive Week, The New York Times, and Financial Planning magazine. He's a graduate of the Columbia School of Journalism and the University of Delaware.

For daily updates, follow Larry on Twitter.

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RE: EU dings Microsoft's IE browser market share, says Statcounter
tomlin21-24319035676893835085146735905770 11th Oct
Your website is in fact wonderful! How can I produce a simple such mulberry outlets as this?
View in thread
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No not the EU, it was the EU consumer who willingly did it
OS Reload Updated - 5th Oct 2010
When given a choice he opted out of IE, plain and simple.

That also explains why Microsoft fears and actively fights freedom of choice so much.
0 Votes
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Nah
Economister Updated - 5th Oct 2010
@OS Reload

You can have ANY OS or browser you want, as long as it is made/sold by MS. wink
0 Votes
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Maybe it was a time for change
osreinstall 5th Oct 2010
@OS Reload

I have been using Netscape since 1995 so that freedom of choice has always been there. Now I choose to use Firefox over IE. MS has never held a gun to my head or anyone else's. It is the cell phone carriers that are the real bastages.
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Still, if users can freely choose, there is no reason to make IE the
DonnieBoy 5th Oct 2010
default. Let them really choose.
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You're still using Netscape!?
Cylon Centurion 6th Oct 2010
@osreinstall

Please tell me I am reading that wrong!
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RE: EU dings Microsoft's IE browser market share, says Statcounter
osreinstall Updated - 6th Oct 2010
Ford makes Philco the default and Chevrolet makes Delco-Remy the default and Chrysler makes Mopar the default and then there is Autozone. Don't like Autozone, there is always NAPA. Your argument Donnieboy is mute.

Now I choose to use Firefox is the clue that I do not use Netscape, Cylon.
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Youre right
Michael Alan Goff Updated - 5th Oct 2010
@OS Reload

Microsoft was stopping everyone from using anything other than Internet Explorer. I remember in XP trying to download Opera, and a picture of Bill Gates showed up and said no.

Wait... no. That didn't happen. Damn. I'm sure there was something there stopping everyone from choosing something else, though, and I'll think of it. Give me time.
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But wait...
Economister 5th Oct 2010
@goff256

Recently I reinstalled XP SP3 on an old notebook and I tried to use IE which came with the OS to DL Firefox. For some bizarre reason, the page loaded fine but the DL button did no show. I scratched my head over that one for a while. I have no idea if it is a Mozilla web page coding issue or MS messing with me, but I do know I can't trust MS.
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RE: EU dings Microsoft's IE browser market share, says Statcounter
Loverock Davidson 5th Oct 2010
Bad statistics. The EU purposely didn't make IE the first choice and should be scolded for such actions. Now we see how they treat Microsoft. Microsoft did them the favor of having IE already installed so they wouldn't have to install a browser. You can thank the EU for making users do extra work now. Besides, people are waiting for IE9 to be released.

Boycott the EU today!
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Don't worry, Windows users are super intelligent. If they know that IE is
DonnieBoy 5th Oct 2010
the best, they will search for it, even if it is not first on the list.

Or will they?????
0 Votes
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We get it, Donnie
Michael Alan Goff 5th Oct 2010
@DonnieBoy

You hate IE, Microsoft, Windows users, and so forth. It's not clever anymore.
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RE: EU dings Microsoft's IE browser market share, says Statcounter
Loverock Davidson 5th Oct 2010
@DonnieBoy
That doesn't excuse the EU from doing its citizens a disfavor.
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No, Windows users come from all walks of life, they are not necessarily
DonnieBoy 5th Oct 2010
propeller heads like you guys.
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RE: EU dings Microsoft's IE browser market share, says Statcounter
Chipesh Updated - 5th Oct 2010
I'm a EU Citizen and I'm proud of moves to stop MS exploiting its position to foist a shoddy browser upon our citizens. It's an example the US ought to follow.

Next up stop pre-installing of Windows.

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RE: EU dings Microsoft's IE browser market share, says Statcounter
osreinstall 6th Oct 2010
@Chipesh

Build your own PC, put anything on it, or order one with Linux on it. Naw, too easy. You would rather complain because that was always a great problem solving solution.
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RE: EU dings Microsoft's IE browser market share, says Statcounter
jackson1984-24316069205748857739440257893812 10th Oct
It is fairly stimulating function chestnut ugg you have penned for us. The majority of people should comprehend that these elements can manifest to everyone. You may have unveiled to me a much better outlook now.
0 Votes
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RE: EU dings Microsoft's IE browser market share, says Statcounter
tomlin21-24319035676893835085146735905770 11th Oct
Your website is in fact wonderful! How can I produce a simple such mulberry outlets as this?

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