Details
* Gecko-Based Browsers (AOL-Compuserve, AOL for OS X, Mozilla, Netscape 6+, etc.): • The reported percentage of users varies a lot, likely in large part because many stats sources (a) are not properly identifying non-Netscape Gecko browsers, and (B) may wrongly identify Opera or Safari as a Gecko browser. • I suggest that ~6% typically use Gecko browsers, with this number growing as IE and Netscape 4 users switch.
* KHTML-Based Browsers (Konqueror, OmniWeb 4.5+, Safari, etc.): • The reported percentage of users varies a lot, likely in large part because many stats sources are not properly identifying these browsers. • I suggest that ~1-2% typically use KHTML browsers — the great majority being Safari users — with the number likely to rise slowly as more OS X users switch to Safari.
* Microsoft Internet Explorer: Roughly 85% use IE-based browsers, down from a high of ~94% as users switch to other browser families — mainly Gecko — with this downward trend likely to continue as the alternate browsers improve and as IE remains stagnant with no planned upgrade for several years. • Most use IE6, with its number growing slowly. • Many use IE5, with the number shrinking as users upgrade or switch; IE5 will remain a factor for several years. • Few use IE4, ~0.5%, with the number shrinking steadily to the point that it will become negligible before the end of 2004.
* Netscape 4.x: • Stats vary, but ~1-2% likely use a Netscape 4 browser; the number is shrinking slowly and may not become negligible till 2005. • The majority use 4.5+ versions, but a large minority still uses 4.0x versions.
* Opera: • The reported percentage of users varies a lot, likely in large part because many stats sources wrongly identify Opera as Internet Explorer, Mozilla, or Netscape; one survey in early 2004 revealed that ~72% of Opera users had configured it to identify itself as Internet Explorer. • I suggest that ~1-2% typically use Opera browsers, with the number changing slowly, and with the great majority using Opera 7.
http://www.upsdell.com/BrowserNews/stat_trends.htm
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