Print - Firefox: We Want 10 Percent

The browser wars are back. Upstart Web browser maker Mozilla Foundation now expects its surging Firefox browser to command 10 percent of the Web browser market by the end of 2005. "I think we'll get to 10 percent over the next year," a Mozilla Foundation spokesperson told ZDNET this week. "We don't have 10 percent of the Web at the moment, but we have the momentum."

According to some amazing statistics that show a sudden and profound interest in alternatives to the bug-laden and insecure Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) product, the Mozilla Foundation certainly does have momentum on its side. Enthusiasts downloaded more than 3.3 million copies of the prerelease version, Firefox 0.8, and a whopping 6.5 million users downloaded Firefox 0.9 in just 3 months. More than 5 million users have downloaded the prerelease version of Firefox 1.0 (the final version is due next month) in just 1 month.

According to ZDNET UK, more than 19 percent of this month's Web traffic to its sites came from Firefox and other Mozilla-based browsers, up from 9 percent in February. Not coincidentally, IE use during that time period fell from 88 percent to 79 percent. CNET.com reports similar trends. To download Firefox, visit the Mozilla Foundation Web site.

Well of course ZDNet/CNET would have a high proportion of Firefox users, since the sites are aimed at technology enthusiasts. Joe User and Grandma don't typically go to ZDNet.

So how about making this site compatible with Firefox? The text in news articles is smaller than it should be and the advertisements always get pushed way off the screen.

Yes, please do something about the text. If it isn't too small in Firefox it comes out in COURIER and other dreadful font combinations.

I spoke to a web developer a few months ago about Firefox, and he looked at me with a straight face, and with a confused look said, "What's Firefox"? Of course, being Micro$oft certified, and an all-Microsoft house, I'm not surprised that he didn't know. Well, OK, I WAS surprised, but not shocked. Change is in the wind. And change is good. Let's hope they make enough of a dent in Micro$oft's market share to force Website designers (like the ones that work on this site--nudge, nudge) to write to STANDARDS, not to IE. Good article.

Again, it's funny to read about firefox, using firefox, and seeing that your website has no been tested with it. Ads are pushed off the screen! :) It's for your own interest: Make your website more browser compatible and you'll get clicks :)

I don't see any problems with the ads. They are in the same place in Firefox 1.0PR as in IE 6.0sp1

I've been using first Mozilla and now Firefox and haven't had any problems with graphic placement or anything else. If the text is too small, hit control and the plus sign on the keypad to enlarge it. Shrink it with control and the minus sign on the keypad. Now if I could just find a way to remove IE totally......

Ctrl+ and Ctrl- will also bring the ads back onto the screen (if you really want them...)

I've used Firefox, and I'm just not impressed. It has only a few more features than IE. I've been using Maxthon, and am really impressed with the feature set.

An impressive goal, and I think that it is possible given all of the positive traction in the industry at this time. While Firefox has had its share of security vulnerabilities recently, most have been evident in earlier versions that were still heavily in beta. But, as has been mentioned before, and as I have mentioned in the past, this site should be more Firefox friendly. While I know that I can increase the text size, it should just display right the first time, like it does in IE.

Actually, this site should NOT be made compatible for Firefox.. or IE for that matter. It should be made compliant with W3C STANDARDS! IE CAN deal reasonably well with standards when the strict DOCTYPE is used, and firefox will play well too. Lets not start making IE only hacks or Firefox only hacks.

To the last user ... I agree totally. In fact, you will find that Firefox / Mozilla is far more W3C Standards Compliant than IE!!

Agreed with standards compliance over Firefox compatibility. To the Maxthon user, as a web developer it's not Firefox I want to see suceed but the Gecko engine. Maxthon uses IE's engine which hasn't been updated in three and a half years and is slowing web development to a crawl.

Why don’t people see the light? Firefox is just so easy to use. I switched my family computer over to it a year ago and my sisters and my dad found it so much easer to use. They didn’t even realise that they were using it until I told them. For most people they wouldn’t know the difference from IE, except the lack of popups and viruses coming through, not to mention the tabs other plug-ins. As for web developers of bank sites, using IE with bank details is just like installing a fresh copy of Win XP SP1 and then exposing it to the net. Out like a light.