The battle of the browsers continues to rage, and for the first time ever according to one analytics company, Firefox has outperformed the combined might of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer and Edge browsers.
StatCounter’s global desktop browser usage figures for April show that Firefox snared 15.6% of the market, compared to 15.5% for IE and Edge (which managed 13.25% and 2.25% respectively).
In actual fact, Firefox didn’t pick up users to overtake Microsoft’s browsers as it dipped very slightly from March to April, but Redmond’s efforts dropped more, with Internet Explorer losing 0.42%.
Chrome likely chomped those users from IE, as it rose again and is clearly in the lead on 60.5%. Bringing up the rear, StatCounter has Safari on 4.6% and Opera on 1.9%.
Edge adoption, then, has been pretty disappointing, but that’s not too surprising given that it launched in a pretty unfinished state and is still missing major bits, and of course you need to have upgraded to Windows 10 to use the browser.
Edging bets
However, we can probably expect Microsoft’s market share to rise when Edge picks up with the introduction of extensions and other missing features (including stuff like web notifications) which are due to land with the Anniversary Update this summer.
Also, the picture is admittedly very different when you look at the UK and US markets in isolation.
In the UK, Chrome leads on 54.2%, with IE and Edge on 21.8% way ahead of Firefox on 13.2%. Over in the States, Chrome is top on 51.6%, followed by IE and Edge on 25.2%, with Firefox on 13.4%.
Still, Mozilla will definitely be celebrating the fact that it has outdone Redmond worldwide, at least according to one bean counting firm.
Source: techradar.com
I completely agree with you on actually everything you said, Yes diversity in browser is the best thing that has ever happened because we would still be stuck with IE, Firefox, never understood why Firefox is trying so hard to be like google chrome and also why can't Microsoft make a better browser than chrome
Well, that largely reflects my point: a substantial number of people rely heavily on laptops for their portability for long periods of time. If you have to travel a lot, battery life is a major concern. It may not be a problem for everyone, but it is a sufficient concern for many and warrants a proper solution. Using chrome effectively halves my battery life and a major problem when trying be productive on the go.
Again, it isn't the only concern nor it is not a problem for everyone. Chrome is by far still the best browser when battery life isn't an issue. I still use chrome as my main browser on my desktop and my "plugged in" one on my laptop, whilst using edge on the go. My point is that diversity among browsers is a good thing from users standpoint, my needs are different from yours and that is likely to be the case for most people as people lead different lifestyles, have different priorities and therefore preferences.There is no "one size fits all" solution, and Edge is a usefully distinguished browser, given that Chrome seems to be entirely focused on delivering speed and Firefox is more focused desperately trying to play catch-up to Chrome than anything else.
Justice is done. If only Microsoft would give up and admit they can't build browsers. The world would be a better place.
For a regular user, Edge is not the browser. Its slow, clumsy if i may say, fills unrefined or incomplete, Microsoft should just buy a browser making company
Well I would both agree and disagree, depending on what you mean by regular user. Laptop users (both as primary computer and as secondary) account for a large proportion of users. Edge is clearly marketed towards such use and is, at least for me, the most viable browser for laptops running on battery.
As far as speed goes, it is a necessary compromise between better battery consumption and speed. What you want on a laptop is a balance between the two, something for which edge is the best option available. As neither Chrome nor Firefox seem to be interested in making a laptop friendly version of their browsers, I am glad someone did.
Although I don't use edge very often at the moment (due to the lack of extensions) I actually think it is actually very useful as a niche browser.
Edge doesn't chomp through battery and memory as quickly as chrome, making it perfect for laptops. Whilst this does mean it is a bit slower, it is not really noticeable and is a welcome trade off for battery conservation. The UI is also useful if you have a touchscreen, particularly on a "convertible" type laptop/tablet but for me is really a bit too simplistic for desktop use (plus chrome does provide faster performance in return for the memory it uses, and since power drain isn't a problem, it is pretty much unbeatable as a desktop browser).
It is my go-to browser whenever I am using laptops away from home/work/somewhere where I can charge it. I can see it becoming my main mobile browser if the promised extensions ever actually arrive.
I am surprised it has taken this long….
All i keep hearing from people is about battery and browsers, which i don't get at all, one thing a laptop is not a smartphone, i have never been 6 hours away from a power outlet, i may need it to last longer but on those rare occasion when i forgot my charger or power is out, but as i said rare, that's what i don't why i don't get the battery argument. Surely you can't tell me using chrome makes a dent on your power bill and i am guessing most antiviruses are more power hog than chrome and never heard people use the same argument