The browser war, Internet Explorer out paces Firefox

The browser war was already well and truly at its peak when I came onto the web development scene.  The statistics that I have seen on Google Analytics have shown that Microsoft has won this war in the Solomon Islands, hands down.  But what do these statistics tell me as a web developer.  For one it is encouraging to see that most hits on our corporate website, www.telekom.com.sb, is coming from Internet Explorer 8.0.  However, more worrying for me is the huge proportion of users that still use Internet Explorer 6.0.  This simply means that I still have to maintain backward compatibility which is already a nightmare for IE6.0

Other interesting statistics also show that perhaps most of these users are visiting from native Windows OS so the OS war is also being won by Microsoft.  With the emergence of Microsoft 7 as the best Microsoft OS yet (and in my opinion it is), I expect to see this dominance continue for a while yet.

As a strong advocate of open source who actively promotes the use of Firefox, the disparity in Solomon Island’s uptake of Firefox is certainly disappointing.  However, most people get a version of Internet Explorer on their PC anyway, whether it is a legitimate or pirated copy and many stick with the default browser.  Most users simply make a switch when they are told about Firefox or when there is a deliberate need for an alternative browser.  Even that urgency is slowly being neglected as Microsoft has lifted its game and since Internet Explorer 7, it has made great strides in making its browsers compliant with current standards in CSS & HTML.

The one aspect that still remains a draw card for Firefox which unfortunately not many Solomon Islands users are aware of is Addons.  The ability for Firefox users to customize their browsers according to their tastes whether it is the theme, tabs and other useful or helpful cosmetic upgrades. The latest addon I have added to my Firefox browser is Persona.

However, the average user in the Solomon Islands simply wants a browser to surf the internet with.  However, once newer more trendier users like teenagers begin to get onto the internet, I anticipate the usage of Firefox to increase.  At the moment the price is prohibitive so getting users onto the internet will remain largely restricted to offices and during office hours.  This hypothesis is supported by the number of hits on our corporate website.  There is significant drop during the weekend and then the hits pick up again during week days.  The other supporting evidence being that most of our hits are local and from DSL lines.

The one sad aspect of Microsoft’s legacy is Internet Explorer 6.0, the web designers nightmare.  I have literally given up with making exceptions for IE 6.0, however the trend seems to be that the usage of this outdated, non-compliant browser is picking up and at 25%, I have a delimma in my hands.

Until Firefox strikes a deal that allows it to be shipped on PC’s, it still will rely on the word of mouth or some aggressive marketing strategy for places like the Solomon Islands to witness any growth in usage.  I can see that as a distant possibility and in the mean time Internet Explorer and Windows will continue their vice like grip on users in the Solomon Islands.  The emergence of Microsoft’s move to conform to standards will only make it more difficult for users to make that switch.  Microsoft wins hands down.