Browsers. Our Gateway to the World Wide Web. We’ve come a long way since ViolaWWW, IBM WebExplorer and Netscape Navigator 1.0. The memory makes me shiver with nostalgia and contempt simultaneously. Thank goodness, the Internet has evolved, and so have the browsers we use to explore it. The battle for market share is as fierce as it is strategic. Browsers not only act as user friendly interfaces, but rather as ambassadors for the major software companies competing to design the desktop, notebook and mobile experience of the future.  The cut-throat competition means that browsers are improving even as you read this sentence, offering increased functionality, faster speeds and a more user-friendly experience. But which browsers are dominating the global market in the war for market share? Here are the stats.

From W3Counter: Global Web Stats

If we compare the use of web browsers over the last year from September 2008- September 2009 we notice the following changes:

• Internet Explorer, Firefox and Opera browsers have all lost market share over the last year, while Apple’s Safari has had an increase of 1.6%
• Google’s Chrome has entered the market, achieving a 3.01% market share since its release in September 2008
• In another rapid adoption, Firefox 3.5 gained 4% global share in September, bringing its share to 17.65%
• In June 2009, Apple claims 11 Million Downloads For New Safari In 3 Days

From Mashable: Chrome on Sony (August 2009)

• Google is stepping up its efforts to increase awareness, and ultimately market share, of its Chrome web browser with a new Sony partnership. Under the deal, Chrome will come pre-installed on Sony’s Vaio line of computers according to the Financial Times.

From ComputerWorld: Researcher cracks Mac in 10 seconds (March 2009)

In terms of browser security, the following facts from the recent Hacking competition PWN2OWN highlight some interesting points:

• Charlie Miller, a security researcher who hacked a Macintosh in two minutes last year at CanSecWest's PWN2OWN contest, improved his time by cracking another Macintosh Safari Browser in under 10 seconds.
• Chrome was also the only browser that wasn't cracked in seconds or minutes in the recent PWN2OWN hacker competition. In fact, Chrome never was busted.

From Statcounter: Global Mobile Browser Stats

On the mobile front, here are the latest statistics from September 2008- October 2009.

• The Opera Mini Mobile browser has remained dominant with 26% market share, while the iPhone and Nokia come a close second and third at 22% and 20% respectively.
• The Blackberry operating system has showed a steady increase over the past year to 8% market share.

From GetJar - Opera Mini Clocks More Than 25 Million Downloads (August 2009)

• Opera Mini clocks more than 25 million downloads on GetJar, making it the most downloaded App ever on an App store.

Conclusion

It is important to realise that these statistics are to be taken with a pinch of salt. As Oscar Wilde put it, "The pure and simple truth is rarely pure and never simple." Statistics for browser usage differ between sources. However W3Counter and StatCounter are both reliable sources measuring thousand of users, visiting thousands of websites, so you can be sure that the trends are accurate and meaningful. Which browser do you use?

Also check out:

• Friday Fact Box - What Does the Future Hold?
• The Big Browser War
• Can Search Emulate a Web Browser?
• The Browser That Killed Browsing - Meet Flock