“The web browser is a cornerstone of the modern desktop or laptop. It provides a point-and-click interface to the internet. However, Microsoft is no longer the only serious player in this market,” The Age reports.
“Web monitoring specialist NetApplications.com says the software colossus commands more than 80 per cent of the browser market with Internet Explorer, which has been baked into every version of Windows for the past decade. A mere two years ago, that figure was a seemingly unassailable 92 percent,” The Age reports. “However, a sleek browser named Firefox has been eroding Microsoft’s market share since its impressive debut in November 2004 and it now counts 12.5 per cent of web users as its devotees.”
The Age reports, “Some fans have, however, complained of Firefox 2’s increased bulk and noticeably slower speed. Firefox 2 is also available for Macintosh machines, which puts the squeeze on Apple’s own Safari browser, which holds about 4 per cent of the browser market. A new version of Safari, planned for release alongside the Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard operating system in the middle of next year, will include improved searching for text on a web page.”
Full article here.
More about Apple’s Safari 3, due to ship with Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, via AppleInsider here.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Apple’s Safari browser market share up 53-percent year-over-year, shows accelerating growth – November 01, 2006
Anti-phishing measures show up in Safari 3 builds – October 20, 2006
Three new Safari 3.0 tricks produce Mac OS X Leopard lust – October 05, 2006