IE6 Holding Ground

Love it or hate it, it looks like Microsoft's Internet Explorer 6 is stubbornly clinging to browser market share. According to recent stats published by StatOwl.com, IE6 still clings to a 3rd place share, or 18.23% of all web users. This month, Firefox 3 took over the 2nd place position with 18.58%, and IE7 remains firmly atop the chart with 43.51%. The case for continued IE6 compatability becomes even more interesting when looking at the usage trends for corporate entities: In this case, IE6 leads the pack with over 41% , followed by IE7 at around 39%.

Want to know why the continued survival of IE6 is such a big deal? Read on to learn how not all browsers are created equal, and why IE6 looks to be sticking around for a bit longer.

Why is IE6 Still Around?

Released in 2001 and quickly rising to become the most popular browser in the earlier part of this decade, IE6 captured between 80-90% market share at its peak. As newer browsers were developed, such as Firefox in 2004 and IE7 in 2006, usage declined but did not evaporate as many users did not feel the need to upgrade or switch to a newer browser. IE6 was standard for Windows XP, and it wasn't until later service pack revisions that IE7 was available for install. Further compounding the problem, many businesses still run older operating systems such as Windows 2000, that new browser software is not being released for. Additionally, the adoption of Windows Vista has been slow, where IE7 is included as part of the standard OS install.

What's the Problem with IE6?

The lack of adoption of updated browsers created a number of issues. For the end user, security flaws and instability abound. It's simply no longer safe to use IE6, as exploits can grant malicious code access to a computer and Microsoft no longer supports the product. For website developers, IE6 is a challange, as it renders sites in drastically different ways than more modern browsers. The continued need to support IE6 means adding additional code, bloating the site, increasing development time, and offering only limited support of newer rendering techniques. Some web developers have decided to forgo IE6 compatability in recent years completely, but many (including Sitepro) find it hard to ignore IE6's near 20% install base and dominance in the business world.

The Eventual Extinction of IE6

The future isn't bright for IE6. With Windows 7 (incorporating IE8) on the horizon, forced IE7 upgrades in Windows XP, and the release of IE8 earlier this year, it's only a matter of time before IE6 falls out of favor. The real question is: how much time? Undoubtedly the expense of updating business and corporate machines is making adoption difficult as well, but as newer software becomes harder and harder to run on eight year old hardware businesses will be forced to upgrade. And if Windows 7 becomes as successful as XP, expect IE8 to become the new standard for those using Microsoft products within the next few years.

Look to Alternatives

And if Internet Explorer isn't your cup of tea, or you're just plain interested to see what else is out there, remember that there are always alternatives. Here are links to download some great browsers:
Firefox 3 - The leading alternative to IE
Opera 9 - Interesting options for guestures, in particular
Safari 4 - Mac OS X's standard, and a great, fast browser
Chrome 1 - Google's newcomer, including address bar searching and process separation to prevent full browser crashes

Your Thoughts

What's your favorite browser, and why? Let us know by leaving us a comment below!