IE8 Losing Popularity Contest in EU Browser Ballot

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Opera and Firefox gain at the expense of Microsoft Internet Explorer.

In accordance with the European Union, Microsoft had to do something to create more distance between Windows and Internet Explorer as well as give more room for competing web browsers. Now with the Browser Ballot screen up and running, tracking firms have already observed a decline in Internet Explorer's market share.

According to Reuters, reporting from statistics tracked by Statcounter, Internet Explorer's share in March dropped in France by 2.5 percentage points from February, in Britain by 1 percentage point and in Italy by 1.3 points.

Even though those are just small percentages off from Microsoft's share, it's resulted in doubling – and in some countries tripling – of downloads for the Opera browser. Mozilla, which holds second place in the browser popularity contest, said that it has seen strong growth of Firefox.

Marcus Yam
Marcus Yam
Marcus Yam served as Tom's Hardware News Director during 2008-2014. He entered tech media in the late 90s and fondly remembers the days when an overclocked Celeron 300A and Voodoo2 SLI comprised a gaming rig with the ultimate street cred.
46 Comments Comment from the forums
  • nonxcarbonx
    It's actually pretty amazing to think people were too lazy or too ignorant to simply download Firefox or Opera before the EU's decision. I recognize it's only a few percent, but still, that translates into a lot of people.
    Reply
  • the_krasno
    I would like to know what the numbers have to say about Google Chrome.
    Reply
  • victomofreality
    SURPRISE... wait thats not it... ummm... EXPECTED! why would any one want Microsoft's buggy browser if it didn't come with the os?
    Reply
  • amabhy
    I'm happy that people are using real browsers but...

    Screw the EU and their cracked up legal system.
    Reply
  • Abrahm
    I'm still waiting for an EU browser ballot mandate on Apple's OS X, and every Linux distribution. Should probably get one on text editors too, that Notepad has had an undeserved monopoly for far too long!

    Doesn't matter if you like or hate Windows, Microsoft, or IE, forcing them to advertise their competitors is idiotic.
    Reply
  • joex444
    Really. "Opera browser 10 is Internet Browser innovation."

    That's the tagline that won these idiots over? It's the one with grammatical flaws. Say what you will... the correct use of our language is a sign of intelligence. The improper use is therefore a sign of shoddy programs.

    Also, what's with Opera's image compression nonsense? Sure, its faster. But the web never looked worse.
    Reply
  • Camikazi
    victomofrealitySURPRISE... wait thats not it... ummm... EXPECTED! why would any one want Microsoft's buggy browser if it didn't come with the os?Yea, I'm so relieved that I can now change my browser, thank god the EU came through and made that possible for the first time... o wait, never mind...
    Reply
  • heffeque
    It seems that joex444 doesn't know that the only countries in Europe that speak English as a mother language are the UK and Ireland.
    Reply
  • math1337
    Weeks later the shares are almost the the same on all of the browsers because people pick randomly.
    Reply
  • buwish
    Eh, it's all a matter of preference when it comes down to it. I prefer Opera myself, but generally out of habit, i.e. I'm used to it. Others prefer Chrome, Firefox, etc... Just a matter of choice really.
    Reply