Graphical depiction of web browser popularity from 1995-2011

[zridling]

Graphical depiction of web browser popularity from 1995-2011

[attach]

[superboyac]

awesome!

[zridling]

I don't know about Safari, but I'd say we're living in a golden age for browsers. None of them are bad!

[rgdot]

Where is Seamonkey? 

[Ath]

Where is Seamonkey? 

It's the thin line, just about 0.1 pixel wide, at the far right of the image, they just forgot to put the versionnumbers along the line

[rgdot]

It's the thin line, just about 0.1 pixel wide, at the far right of the image, they just forgot to put the versionnumbers along the line

Must be

Is it my eyes or Opera has never changed in popularity? I know all the innovations and new ideas that have come with Opera and their mobile success but still takes a lot dedication to keep going.

[Renegade]

I'm slowly changing over to Opera again. Firefox is simply a beast and is becoming unusable for me. Opera is just blisteringly fast, and I like that. A lot.

I have zero browser loyalty. I've used them all and it seems like they have good times and bad times. Well, IE usually has bad times, but that's another story.

I'm also finding Chrome is pretty sluggish. Well, in comparison to Opera anyways.

The chart was very interesting. I remember Safari coming out, trying it, and shelving it because it didn't do anything properly. Apple had buttons in the browser for people to report "broken sites". Hahahaha~! After all, Apple can do no wrong!

[mahesh2k]

I just don't like opera for many reasons in comparison to FF. Chrome is just google's way of being more evil. So only good and uncontrolled beast remains is -firefox. FF4 looks good to me, my add-ons are getting updated every week, i'm happy with it.

[nosh]

Nice! Really puts things in perspective.

All other browsers besides Firefox are obviously irrelevant. /troll

[mahesh2k]

I don't know how many of you remember neoplanet. It was based on netscape's code, still alive but not sure how many people use it. 

[app103]

I don't know how many of you remember neoplanet. It was based on netscape's code, still alive but not sure how many people use it.  

Nope...it was (and still is) Trident based (IE). I also remember it having a unique user ID for tracking purposes, it collecting info about your browsing habits and selling it to 3rd parties, and also using that info to deliver targeted ads.

And while the browser might still be available at that url, I don't think any development has been done on it in about 10 years. (does it even have a popup blocker?)

The NeoPlanet Browser is less than 4.0 MB and is fully compatible with Windows 95/98/NT and IE4.0. The NeoPlanet Browser is also compatible with Windows 2000/ME and IE 5.5+.

There is no mention of XP/Vista/Win7.

[lanux128]

Netcaptor, anyone? was touted as the original tabbed browser. here's the blurb at Softpedia.

NetCaptor - Turns the browser world upside down

NetCaptor is the strongest web browser application on the whole earth! Other browsers only show one page at a time or squish them together in an overlapping mess. NetCaptor gives each web site its own tab!
NetCaptor is the original tabbed browser. Accept no imitations!

Here are some key features of "NetCaptor":
￭ Reject Annoying Popups
Hate popups ads? NetCaptor blocks unrequested popups!
￭ Clean Up After Yourself
NetCaptor's secure clean up feature obliterates your cache, history, cookies, AutoComplete and other private data by overwriting it 1 to 35 times before deletion.
￭ Block Ads
NetCaptor blocks band-width sucking ads, web bugs, and other stuff you don't want to see.

• http://www.softpedia.com/get/Internet/Browsers/NetCaptor.shtml

[app103]

Back in 1999, Crystalport was an awesome browser. This didn't just have tabs, it also had sub-tabs...and lots of other nifty features, some of which you still don't see in other browsers today, such as AppCapture.

Multi-page management utilities include the ability to simultaneously surf multiple sites with a tabbed interface, view multiple sites in a re-sizeable multi-pane tile mode, including drag and drop links between panes; bookmark groups of websites for simultaneous opening; email groups of sites with one click...either as a tab group file (for other CrystalPort users) or as a list of links (for non-CrystalPort users).

AppCapture brings virtually any program into a browser tab or the sidebar. Users can simultaneously view web, Word, and email documents...even spreadsheets; they can cut, paste, drag and drop links between documents with unparalled ease.

CrystalPort also allows control over pop-up advertisement windows, and includes password-protected online bookmarks, a full skin-supported interface (with a built-in NeoPlanet skin converter), over 30 categorically organized search engines accessible directly from the toolbar, the ability to add custom search engines from any website, real-time language translations, and plug-in support for custom developed applications that need to access web controls.

Newest features include: Intelligent Auto Form-Fill, page exclusion, restrictable access, and encrypted storage of information. Profiles can be windows or browser based, allowing multiple users and browser configurations to quickly switch from one custom configuration to another. Each profile can be password-protected, storing all browser settings and preferences selected by that user. The Advanced Search Bar is enhanced with Google functionality, including keyword highlighting, search site, backward links, and page levels through Google.com.

You wouldn't want to use it today, though, for a bunch of reasons. Off the top of my head:

• No protection from driveby ActiveX malware installers.
• Written in VB5.
• Company gone with the wind, no support, no further development, some cloud based features (like online bookmark storage) no longer work.

[joiwind]

Can't let this go by without plugging K-Meleon...!

[nudone]

Apple had buttons in the browser for people to report "broken sites". Hahahaha~! After all, Apple can do no wrong!

Amazing. That really does say everything about Apple.

I'd also like to know why the commonly used "Windows" browser isn't on the chart. Every client I come in contact with uses the "Windows" browser when I ask them which they use (which usually translates to "Internet Explorer 7").

[Stoic Joker]

I'd also like to know why the commonly used "Windows" browser isn't on the chart. Every client I come in contact with uses the "Windows" browser when I ask them which they use (which usually translates to "Internet Explorer 7").

(hehe) Yeah, that should be listed right up there with the ones that give you the name of their ISP, when asked what browser they use.

Note: In defense of the end user, this confusion/phenomenon was caused by the practice known as branding.

[mouser]

I suspect chrome will kill off everything else soon enough.  Nothing to do with quality of the browser (though it has some nice features) -- just that when you combine google's virtual monopoly on search, which provides them with the perfect position to push people to use their browser, with the financial and search/advertising/security incentive to own the browser market, with the billions of dollars of revenue, i think you have an unstoppable force that is determined to do whatever it takes to dominate the web browser wars.

Google just cannot afford the possibility that someone could do something with the browser that would hurt their search engine advertising traffic; the more they control the browser, the more they can ensure search engine and advertising dominance going forward.

I view Google like one big benevolent giant -- benevolent as long as the ad revenue is pouring in like a tsunami they are kind and generous and behave well.  If anyone threatens their revenue stream they have their hands deep within the gears of the internet ready to do whatever they need to do to kill off the competition.

[rgdot]

Chrome might kill everything off soon but it has odd, some would say ridiculous, bugs. I suspect it might have something to do with underlying code that is geared towards an OS.
I have posted here once or twice her about it acting weird with wifi connections, found a few reports from others too.
Another one I discovered more recently is this, it is really even less acceptable for a browser, and it seems it's more common. Checkboxes disappear http://www.google.ca/support/forum/p/Chrome/thread?tid=0551a15ebb64a498&hl=en&start=160

[Stoic Joker]

I view Google like one big benevolent giant -- as long as the ad revenue is pouring in like a tsunami they are kind and generous and behave well.  If anyone threatens their revenue stream they have their hands deep within the gears of the internet ready to do whatever they need to do to kill off the competition.

I think you meant big malevolent giant... ...Trust being a factor - In them - I have none.


Dragons never attack a village when they're being fed ("properly") a virgin or two on a regular basis...

[phitsc]

I still have an un-opened (i.e. sealed) original Microsoft Internet Explorer StarterKit from 1996. It says: The Complete and Easy Way to Get on the Internet

[MilesAhead]

I thought the graphic should have started a few years earlier.  No props at all to Mosaic or lynx. It's not like they'd have to research back to the 1800s or anything.

[Deozaan]

I thought the graphic should have started a few years earlier.  No props at all to Mosaic or lynx. It's not like they'd have to research back to the 1800s or anything.

A few years earlier is practically the 1800s in Internet time.

Opera's popularity over all those years is kind of pathetic. But at least it's still around! Unlike Netscape.

[mahesh2k]

I don't like the way google bugs me to switch to chrome while using their services. I mean seriously, isn't that similar to adware or naggware ?

[MilesAhead]

I thought the graphic should have started a few years earlier.  No props at all to Mosaic or lynx. It's not like they'd have to research back to the 1800s or anything.

A few years earlier is practically the 1800s in Internet time.

Opera's popularity over all those years is kind of pathetic. But at least it's still around! Unlike Netscape.

It's hardly a reason not to start at the beginning which was the 90s.  The reason has more to do with vying for market share now than any historical perspective.  IOW, it doesn't mean anything. Just more marketing twaddle.

[phitsc]

Opera's popularity over all those years is kind of pathetic. But at least it's still around! Unlike Netscape.

I would assume that a major reason for this is that Opera has been a commercial product for many years while both Netscape and IE have been free.