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November 10  1998

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Browser wars: who cares?

WHO is winning the browser war between Microsoft and Netscape? Does anyone really care?

The hype surrounding this battle stepped up again last week when Microsoft unleashed the public beta of Internet Explorer 5.0, just two weeks after Netscape unveiled the official version 4.5 of Communicator. Both are very good, with MSIE, despite being only a beta, points ahead in speed and reliability. Great for the software companies, but what of we users?

Computer industry analysts at the likes of ZDNet, c|net, Wired and PC World say that most people use the browser that either came with their computer or with their provider's software when they connected to the Net. They are reluctant to download and install newer versions either because they are not sure how to, or they are not convinced a newer version will improve their Web experiences.

Yet the impression given by sites like Browserwatch, which try to measure the browser market, is that the majority of users have newer browsers like MSIE 4.0 and Netscape Communicator 4.0. Last week Browserwatch had 50.7 per cent of its visits from people using Netscape and 36.5 per cent by MSIE users.

Overall, 15 per cent were using Netscape 4.0 or better on Windows 95, 9 per cent version 4.0 on Windows NT, 6 per cent version 4.0 on Windows 98, the same for Macs; with just 2.2 per cent using Netscape 3.0. Neglible numbers were using Netscape 2.0 or lower. Nine per cent of visitors had MSIE 4.0 or better on Win 98, 7 per cent on Win 95 and 6 per cent on NT. Only 2.6 per cent used MSIE 3.0. A handful had older versions.

These figures could indicate one of two things:
a) Visitors to Browserwatch are committed browser users and knowledgable about software and thus more likely to upgrade to newer versions; b) The site reflects the rapidly expanding nature of the medium with newer users armed with newer computers -- and therefore newer browsers -- accounting for the hits.

What the statistics do not reveal is what users want from their browsers, or whether they are interested in upgrading every few months. The rush by the companies to change versions several times a year -- that includes public betas -- has done nothing to define a simple standard of accessibility on the Web. Older browsers simply will not read sites created with the types of toys that newer browsers make possible.

The JavaScript trial page I started building last week worked beautifully in MSIE 4.0, then 5.0. MSIE 3.0, however, would not have a bar of it. Only half of it worked in Netscape's latest 4.5. Opera did not want to know about it. So many permutations for just one page.

Somebody is making a lot of work for Web page authors, and the buck stops at the doorsteps of MS and Netscape as they battle to out-do each other. A global medium should have global standards.

I have compiled a short survey to try to find out some browser facts among readers. You can e-mail watto@iinet.net.au with replies to the following:

* Which Web browser do you use regularly?
* Do you use another? If so, which one?
* Have you upgraded a browser?
* If so, did you download it from the Net?
* Was your present browser already on your computer when you bought it?
* Was your browser supplied with your Internet Service Provider's software?

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