Ok, this article was fun to write.
<Mod edit>
It was really amazing to research the stats and find out how "complete" IE's victory seemed just a few short years ago.
I don't know if Firefox has what it takes to overtake the huge advantage of IE being pre-installed. Maybe Firefox will just clear the way for Chrome.
What do you think?

Since firefox came into scene i have never used IE again. Thats mostly because i hate microsoft and I try to avoid it as much as i can. I use winamp instead of media player for that matter.

I fear that Firefox will not remain clean and bloat free forever.  Everything has a price and eventually Firefox will either be bought out and put out of existance or other programs will begin to copy it to the point that whatever they do is so diluted throughout the browser industry that it won't really make much of a difference if you use one or the other.  I'm sure that the average "Joe Public" hasn't even heard of Firefox.  He just uses whatever came with windows and he's happy.  Consider some of the seniors that use computers... do you really think that they care about Firefox let a lone know of it's existance?

Originally posted by Illius

I fear that Firefox will not remain clean and bloat free forever.  Everything has a price and eventually Firefox will either be bought out and put out of existance or other programs will begin to copy it to the point that whatever they do is so diluted throughout the browser industry that it won't really make much of a difference if you use one or the other.  I'm sure that the average "Joe Public" hasn't even heard of Firefox.  He just uses whatever came with windows and he's happy.  Consider some of the seniors that use computers... do you really think that they care about Firefox let a lone know of it's existance?

Here at work whenever I put together a computer I always install firefox and leave the icon on the desktop.  To this date one user has even tried it let alone use it.  Everyone knows exaclty what IE is and what it does.  Perhaps they need to add internet to the name.

Pretty much proved my point.  Unless you're actively seeking out other programs you'll not care about all the crap that comes with IE.  As long as it gets you to the porn you're looking for or myspace/facebook for the porn uninclined you really don't need anything else.

Originally posted by n25philly

Here at work whenever I put together a computer I always install firefox and leave the icon on the desktop.  To this date one user has even tried it let alone use it.  Everyone knows exaclty what IE is and what it does.  Perhaps they need to add internet to the name.

Wow. Seriously? That's surprising. In a way, that is encouraging though. It means the fact that IE is pre-installed is not necessarily the big thing keeping it propped up.

As a web devlopper, one of our biggest challenge is compatibility. To make sure that our product works as well on firefox or internet explorer of any version or langage. And to be honest with you... IE is a real pain in the A$$.

You mentionned earlier the essential factor why firefox is still holding back to IE. Internet is a pretty abstract technology to a lot of people. Some people need assistance to go check their mails and perform "basic" actions on their computer. Getting an alternate web browser is an operation that is well out of their capacity and of very few intrest to them.

And it is true that FF's expention rate is really tremendous...  near 40% of people have switched to Firefox (TIM Web devlopping department, november 2008) and that it will have to end... or not... just take google for example !

Originally posted by FeD135

You mentionned earlier the essential factor why firefox is still holding back to IE. Internet is a pretty abstract technology to a lot of people. Some people need assistance to go check their mails and perform "basic" actions on their computer. Getting an alternate web browser is an operation that is well out of their capacity and of very few intrest to them.

And that is a huge barrier. I have no idea how that will ever be overcome.

Assume an anti-trust judge somewhere forces them to pre-install Firefox. Do you think that will help? Or is that not enough for people to use Firefox?

Chrome > All

Originally posted by bluesession

Since firefox came into scene i have never used IE again. Thats mostly because i hate microsoft and I try to avoid it as much as i can. I use winamp instead of media player for that matter.

 

 

Winamp ftw! It has so many add ons, skins, DSP effects, visualizations the list is endless!

So long as IE continues to have security holes the size of New Hampshire, and Mozzila remains largely free of them, there is little question about whether or not it will remain competitive.

Let me give you an example, I told my sister to begin using Firefox, in hopes that I wouldn't be called in to clean up her system as often. She still managed to download some malware, but it was unable to do much on its own. Instead, the malware reactivated IE, and began downloading all kinds of crap through that.

This is a rather odd thread to me. EVERYONE I know uses Firefox. MY MOTHER and GRANDPARENTS use Firefox. The security issues with IE are well known and Firefox spread very quickly just by word of mouth alone. I don't know anyone that uses IE anymore and, acording to the OP, there are still people that haven't switched to a different browser!

You'd think that if a person was on the internet they'd be "in the loop"....

I use IE for regular stuff. Then when I get that funny feeling down around my you know what and I need to get rid of it, I use Firefox. That way I get one browser that doesn't always assume I'm a pervert during the day.

Originally posted by Sabiancym

Chrome = dung

fixed

Originally posted by Glamis

Originally posted by n25philly

Here at work whenever I put together a computer I always install firefox and leave the icon on the desktop.  To this date one user has even tried it let alone use it.  Everyone knows exaclty what IE is and what it does.  Perhaps they need to add internet to the name.

 

Wow. Seriously? That's surprising. In a way, that is encouraging though. It means the fact that IE is pre-installed is not necessarily the big thing keeping it propped up.

 

That's weird because I'm one of the only people at my school that I know that doesn't really like firefox...I thought that I was the weird one, I guess I just go to school with a bunch of freaks (well, a lot of them DO use Macs....)

Originally posted by Draenor

Originally posted by Glamis

Originally posted by n25philly

Here at work whenever I put together a computer I always install firefox and leave the icon on the desktop.  To this date one user has even tried it let alone use it.  Everyone knows exaclty what IE is and what it does.  Perhaps they need to add internet to the name.

 

Wow. Seriously? That's surprising. In a way, that is encouraging though. It means the fact that IE is pre-installed is not necessarily the big thing keeping it propped up.

 

 

That's weird because I'm one of the only people at my school that I know that doesn't really like firefox...I thought that I was the weird one, I guess I just go to school with a bunch of freaks (well, a lot of them DO use Macs....)

Well, I wouldn't use the people I work with as a good example of the average person, one person here did ask me to show them how to use the phone in the past year...

Originally posted by n25philly

Well, I wouldn't use the people I work with as a good example of the average person, one person here did ask me to show them how to use the phone in the past year...

What is it exactly that they do at this place they work at?

I installed Firefox on my sister's computer also in the hopes that I would have to at the very least clean it less often.  Now that I've done it and installed a few small programs that sweep it now and again I clean it only when I'm very bored and have absolutely nothing better to do and even then it doesn't take all that long.

Originally posted by Jimmy_Scythe

This is a rather odd thread to me. EVERYONE I know uses Firefox. MY MOTHER and GRANDPARENTS use Firefox. The security issues with IE are well known and Firefox spread very quickly just by word of mouth alone. I don't know anyone that uses IE anymore and, acording to the OP, there are still people that haven't switched to a different browser!

You'd think that if a person was on the internet they'd be "in the loop"....

Many (most?) most people on the internet use it for very specific tasks. They don't surf around to "learn" about technology.

The people you know use Firefox partially, if not largely, because you have told them about it. Not everyone has an "early adopter" type suggesting things like Firefox to them.

But still, 20% market share is darn good for an open source project going head to head against Microsoft. It is certainly better than desktop linux is doing.

Originally posted by Illius

Originally posted by n25philly

Well, I wouldn't use the people I work with as a good example of the average person, one person here did ask me to show them how to use the phone in the past year...

What is it exactly that they do at this place they work at?

I installed Firefox on my sister's computer also in the hopes that I would have to at the very least clean it less often.  Now that I've done it and installed a few small programs that sweep it now and again I clean it only when I'm very bored and have absolutely nothing better to do and even then it doesn't take all that long.

she is office staff.  unfortunately one of the things she does best is answer the phone

I'm not quite sure what to say to that.