For nearly two decades, browsers like Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator, Firefox, and Chrome have competed for dominance on desktop computers in what has been dubbed the "browser war." More recently, the mobile version of Safari found on iPhones and iPads has had a significant impact on browser market share, particularly for ecommerce sites on weekends when consumers have more choice over which browser to use. While Internet Explorer once held over 90% desktop share, its share has declined with the rise of alternatives like Firefox, Chrome, and the mobile Safari browser.

1. THE END OR JUST THE BEGINNING?
For nearly two decades, the web browser has played a prominent role on the computer desktop, leading to
what many have deemed a “browser war” between Microsoft, Google, and others.
A BROWSER WAR TIMELINE
Browser War I
1990
1994
Internet Explorer 2.0
is released.
1995
November
1995 1995
August
First non-beta version
of Netscape Navigator
(known in beta as
Mosaic) is released.
Microsoft licenses
Mosaic from Spyglass
to create Internet
Explorer.
Microsoft Windows 95
Plus! Service Pack
includes Internet
Explorer 1.0.
Internet Explorer
3.0 is released.
1996
August
Netscape releases
Communicator (combining
Navigator with other
products, including a
WYSIWYG HTML editor and
email client).
1997
June
October 1997 Internet Explorer 4.0 is released.
MARKET SHARE (CIRCA OCTOBER 1997):
72%
Netscape
18%
Internet Explorer
1998
Internet Explorer 5.0
is released.
1999
March
AOL buys Netscape for
$4.2 billion.
November
2000
Internet Explorer 6.0
is released.
2001
August
Internet Explorer reaches
96 percent share.
2002
Microsoft releases
Internet Explorer 6
Service Pack 1
with security
vulnerability patch.
2002
September
Browser War II
2004
Mozilla Firefox 1.0 is
released.
November
Netscape browser code
becomes open source as
part of the newly created
Mozilla Foundation.
2003
July
Internet Explorer 7.0 and
Firefox 2.0 are released.
2006
October
Netscape announces it will
no longer support Navigator.
2007
December
2008
Support ends for
Netscape browsers.
2008
March
Google Chrome is
released.
December
Internet Explorer 8.0
is released.
2009
March
May 2009
Internet Explorer
GLOBAL WEB BROWSER MARKET SHARE
62.09%
Firefox 28.75%
Opera 3.23%
Safari 2.65%
Google Chrome 2.45%
Other 0.87%
Internet Explorer
U.S. WEB BROWSER MARKET SHARE
Firefox
Safari
Google Chrome 2.16%
Other 1.29%
AOL 0.52%
63.44%
26.77%
5.81%
Internet Explorer
market share dips
below 50 percent.
2010
October
2010
Google Chrome 9.0 is
released.
2011
February
Internet Explorer 9.0
is released.
2011
March
Firefox 10.0 is
released.
2012
January
May 2012
Internet Explorer
GLOBAL WEB BROWSER MARKET SHARE
Google Chrome 32.28%
Firefox 25.39%
Safari 7.14%
Opera 1.75%
Other 1.02%
Internet Explorer
U.S. WEB BROWSER MARKET SHARE
Google Chrome
Firefox
Safari
Other 1.39%
Opera 0.66%
39.02%32.42%
23.3%
22.1%
13.53%
Ecommerce Websites and Browser Share
Although Chrome has put a dent in Internet Explorer’s browser share for leading ecommerce websites, perhaps the biggest impact has come
from the mobile version of the Safari web browser predominantly found on iPhones and iPads.
January - March 2012
Internet Explorer 42.35%
Safari 16.33%
Firefox 15.46%
Google Chrome 14.42%
Other 0.06%
January - March 2011
Internet Explorer 53.45%
Firefox 18.18%
Safari 13.70%
Google Chrome 8.08%
Other 0.49%
No Rest on Weekends
On weekends, when consumers typically have a choice regarding the web browser they use, Internet Explorer loses more than 10 percent
market share, while usage of the mobile version of Safari increases 30 percent.
35.82%
INTERNET EXPLORER
market share on weekends
(April 16 - May 15, 2012)
16.75%
MOBILE SAFARI
market share on weekends
(April 16 - May 15, 2012)
SOURCES: MONETATE | STATCOUNTER
Firefox 3.0 is
released.
2010
June
Mobile Safari 11.12% Mobile Safari 5.84%