IE Market Share Falls Below 60%

According to Net Applications, Internet Explorer’s market share in April was 59.95 per cent, an F+ in total world browser domination. The last time it was that low was in 1999 when Microsoft’s latest and greatest browser offering was IE4. What gives?

In a word: Chrome. Google’s scrappy browser continued to climb in market share last month, and it alone has gained much of the 9 per cent IE has forfeited since the introduction of IE8 in March of last year. (Chrome’s also the reason Firefox might forever languish below 25 per cent – it had 24.59 per cent market share last month).

Microsoft’s counting on Internet Explorer 9, their sleek, HTML 5-friendly browser due out later this year, to reinvigorate interest, but with Chrome continuing to gain steam and Firefox’s followers remaining loyal as ever, stopping IE’s downward slide might be an uphill battle. [Conveivably Tech via Slashdot]