InfoWorld is reporting on stats from exo.performance.network that Firefox is now on more consumer computers that not.
It finally happened. After years of building momentum -- and more than a few false starts -- Mozilla's Firefox Web browser has finally reached critical mass. There are now more users running some variant of Firefox (50.6 percent) than not running it, according to the latest statistics from the exo.performance.network, which tracks the actual usage and configurations of thousands of PCs globally, providing a real-world snapshot.That's a pretty amazing measure. I'm skeptical but with 1 billion downloads it's not out of the question that Firefox gets at least occasional use on half of the PCs out there.
Posted by: tylerstyle | September 18, 2009 4:51 AM
Very interesting. I was thinking about this kind of measurement while reading the recent posts about "share". I found the definition of market share to be helpful, but limited for the questions I need to answer at work. This type of measurement has also interested me. I guess it could be called "penetration" or "installed base"?
Sometimes this is important, because some people support... only Firefox, so they ask people if they can install Firefox. (And more recently, some people that support only IE have been telling people to install virtualized Windows on Mac OS X).
Posted by: Ben Chuang | September 18, 2009 9:06 AM
Is this the same as market share?
If so, that would be incredible...
Posted by: Colin F | September 18, 2009 1:12 PM
Congratulations!
The spirit of "open source,free software" would always win~
Posted by: Leo | September 18, 2009 8:22 PM
Interesting stat this even if it is approximate. There's 2 ways of looking at it though.
It's good Firefox has made it's way onto roughly 50% of all computers. Amazing in-fact.
It's a wonder why of that only roughly 25% are regular users.
That means round about half of those whom have tried Firefox have not kept it, does it not? Ok some of those may not be aware it's on a shared comp but still, a lot will know.
Why is that and why are they not using Firefox?
How do you market your product better to re-convince someone to use a free product they already have, and have stopped using?
Posted by: KrisSilver | September 19, 2009 8:18 AM
@Colin F,
It's installed base, different from usage share. For example IE has been installed on over 90% of the PCs out there, but that's because it's bundled with Windows.
Posted by: kaixin001 | September 20, 2009 2:37 AM
Also 50% of the visitors with IPv6-enabled use Firefox:
Posted by: Lennie | September 21, 2009 9:36 PM
I always find stats like this a bit skewed. Much like people prefer Coke to Pepsi, I drink both, or one brand of clothes to another, I have both, or one type of restaurant over another, I go to many.
Stats like this are barely accurate in the sense that, its more like many users use Firefox and many still use IE when its required like at work where we cannot use Firefox. Or Firefox users use both, when one don't work or something opens IE.
The rest of us test downloads, and new nightlies, or download the Firefox multiple times for some odd reason, like I've downloaded many versions of Firefox by hand probably a hundred times, but I'm still one user.
Posted by: cuz84d | September 22, 2009 10:24 PM
Kari,
I was thinking the exact same thing. If Firefox is installed on 50% of the computers out there - and I have come across very few people that have tried Firefox and chose something else - why aren't more people using it? The simplest explanation that I can think of is IT people at a lot of workplaces have been installing Firefox on all of their companies' computers, but not forcing its use. As a result, both IE and Firefox are available to these office users, but most just click on that blue "e" because that's what they know. In other words, they never try out Firefox, despite it being on their computers at work.
Posted by: yfan | September 23, 2009 11:03 PM
well, I've seen a lot of people that have tried Firefox and chose to go back to IE6/Maxthon/TencentTraveler/TheWorld/etc. So I guess it depends on where you live.
Anyway seems more than half of the users who have Firefox installed don't use Firefox.
Posted by: kaixin001 | September 28, 2009 4:01 AM
Finally it's getting critical. But what do you expect? That's what you get, when even old, technically unminded people say, that their "Internet" is looking and working much better, after I installed Firefox on their rusty machines. It gets noticed and it gets more widespread. I for one welcome the new open web and can't wait to see the wonders, that will be programmed for it!