Also, google should stick to search. Google desktop was the worst thing I ever let touch my hard drive and their office products are a joke. (I use Open Office in case you think I'm too pro M$.)

It's not so much I.E. as how MS got it to where it is in the firstplace and how, together with the OS, Office and other free stuff like Windows media player, it gives MS too much advantage to hold onto their virtual monopoly for PC desktop software.

Pretty simple, actually.  When firefox came on the scene, IE was the dominant browser.

1.  Being the dominant browser, they were implementing ActiveX objects and totally going against all web standards.  So many championed firefox as the more standardized browser and to keep the web from falling into microsoft domination through the use of ActiveX.

2.  Implementing ActiveX made IE tremendously unsecure, so many more championed firefox as the secure browser.

3.  Firefox, being open source, was championed by the open source movement -- programmers in the know who understand what open source is about.

4.  Firefox is cross platform, so you can get the same functionality regardless of which computer you're using.

All of those reasons appealed to me to try out Firefox.  I stay with firefox because of the way firefox handles the tabbed browsing (much better to have the close button on each tab), the way it handles interrupting (does not stop the page from loading while asking the question "Do you want me to remember that password?" and other such prompts), and for all the add ons, like Ad Blocking, Gestures (makes browsing news aggregators in tabs super efficient), and image zoom. 

When I've shown other people firefox and the way that I use it, they switch too.  In fact, I don't know anybody personally that uses IE.  All my coworkers, my parents, my family, my friends...all use firefox.

I just wanted to get your attention on this one. You must have noticed, that the visitors consisted a lot people from organisations, which use M$ software nearly by default. Poeple don't install 3rd party software to computers they don't own (or aren't even allowed to do that). For example, the company i work in, don't allow personnel to install other software than what the company have approved to the companys computers, in fear of viruses/spyware.

The first "link" i put, had a site as a sample, that targets people between age of 20-30 (and it was number of unique visitors).

+1

I have to agree with you. chrome will probably only pull away people who are in the knowhow of technology, people who probably already have Firefox anyways. The not-so-blissfully ignorant will stick with IE and it won't matter anyways. Google should have just either picked up Firefox or just support it more, not bash the door down and start claiming market share.

Yes, I was going to point out that Grampy's chart does an excellent job of showing us institutional browser usage, not so good at showing us consumer browser usage.

As a student, I get on the educational networks from University computers in the library and in computer labs, which are almost universally IE on Windows. I do not access those networks from my home or work computers, which are Firefox on Mac machines and do not have access to those educational networks.

The data sample is large, but heavily biased.

I find it hillarious that a lot of you are supporting FF only because MS is an evil corporation and has a "monopoly" over the computer industry.

Google has a similar monopoly over the online advertising industry as they own the best ad server and are the only player in town when it comes to search advertising.

They as well are trying to dominate all markets...as every company should.

I won't be surprised if I see a headline in a few years that states...

"Google, in its attempt to dominate all markets, is launching a line of automotive rims today, Google Chrome."

Anything that steals a bit of Explorer's undeserved markesthare is a plus in my book. I'll probably download it, try it then switch back to Firefox, maybe keeping this as a second option when FF has a problem with some page

Yeah, Opera might have to call it quits. BTW, Firefox 3+Ubiquity=WIN!!!