Firefox 4 Blows IE9 Out of the Water

Last week, Microsoft launched Internet Explorer 9 to a warm reception. According to Microsoft, over 2.4 million people downloaded the new web browser in its first 24 hours. Microsoft was proud of their nearly two and a half million users until Firefox 4 launched. Mozilla reports that in its first 24 hours, their new browser was downloaded almost seven million times.

The latest version of Firefox offers several advantages over IE9 , and we’re not just referring to performance. According to web metrics firm Net Applications, 61% of all computers taken online in February. With the majority of internet users running the decade old OS, it might seem like common sense to support the aging OS, but Microsoft doesn’t see it that way. While Firefox 4 runs on Windows XP, Internet Explorer 9 does not.

With Microsoft failing to support their most popular OS with their latest browser, internet users looking to take advantage of the latest web browsing tech were left with only two choices: Firefox 4, and Google Chrome. While Chrome is a strong browser, it just doesn’t enjoy the same level of popularity that Firefox does, and as such, the vast majority of Windows XP users have decided to download Mozilla’s latest offering.

With such a strong launch, Firefox 4 will very likely continue to grow in popularity, while Microsoft’s Internet Explorer 9 will likely lose ground. In fact, given that the most popular OS on the internet isn’t supported by Microsoft’s latest browser, it’s a safe bet that, if nothing else, Firefox 4 will continue to grow in popularity among Windows XP users. From there, it seems likely that Mozilla will continue to eat away at Microsoft’s share of web browsers.