14 DAY TRIAL // A few hours ago, we said that based on figures provided by StatCounter, Google Chrome is the number one browser in the world, but those who decide to have a look on Net Applications’ data for the month of March 2014 will see a completely different set of statistics.
This time, Internet Explorer 8.0 is crowned the leader of the browser market with a share of 21.14 percent, followed by the newly-launched Internet Explorer 11, currently part of Windows 8.1 and available as an optional download for Windows 7 users, with 15.71 percent.
Chrome 33 is the only non-Microsoft browser in the top three with 12.67 percent, while Firefox 27 comes next with 10.55 percent.
Of course, Internet Explorer dominates the rest of the chart as well, with version 9.0 currently running on 8.76 percent of the desktop computers worldwide. Internet Explorer 10 is next with 7.12 percent, while the very old Internet Explorer 6 made the cut with 4.15 percent.
Specifically, Internet Explorer 11 is quickly gaining ground after the public launch in October 2013 when Microsoft introduced the new Windows 8.1, so it’s now on track to overtake version 8.0 and become the number one browser on the market.
Internet Explorer 11 got to see daylight in October 2013 with a 1.49 percent market share, before reaching a record 10.42 percent in December. Its rapid growth continued with 11.49 percent in January, 12.80 percent in February and 15.71 percent last month.
Of course, Microsoft keeps praising its browser, saying that Internet Explorer 11 is the most stable, reliable, and the fastest browser on the web, while also providing touch support and several tweaks supposed to preserve battery life on tablets. All these improvements are available on both Windows 8.1 and Windows 7, the company guarantees.
“With IE11 we continue delivering the best performance for real world Web sites on your Windows device. IE11 on Windows 7 improves performance across the board with faster page loading, faster interactivity, and faster JavaScript performance, while reducing CPU usage and improving battery life on mobile PCs,” Microsoft said in a public announcement released in November 2013 when it officially introduced Internet Explorer 11 for Windows 7.
“IE11 on Windows 8.1 delivers an experience that is fast, fluid and perfect for touch - the best Web experience on any tablet,” it added.
Users can also manually download Internet Explorer 11 for Windows 7 from Softpedia if they do not want to rely on Windows Update to receive this particular version of the browser.