14 DAY TRIAL // If you're looking for the best browser out there and you're planning to give Internet Explorer a chance, you're not alone. October 2014 market share statistics indicate that Microsoft's in-house browser performed really well last month, maintaining the fast growing pace against rivals such as Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox.
Market share researcher Net Application revealed today that last month Internet Explorer 11 usage improved so much that this particular version officially became the number one browser on the market, finally overtaking Internet Explorer 8, which had been leading the charts for years.
Internet Explorer 11 is the default browser in Windows 8.1 and is also available as an optional download for Windows 7 users. Needless to say, the growth posted by these two operating systems also contributed to the significant growth of Internet Explorer 11, so things are actually getting better for Microsoft's modern software.
Internet Explorer 11 improved its market share by almost 7 percent last month, growing from 17.13 percent in September 2014 to 24.05 percent in October 2014.
The browser managed to more than double its market share in 10 months, as in January 2014 statistics indicated that Internet Explorer 11 was running on 11.49 percent of PCs.
Three IE versions at the top of the charts
While Internet Explorer 11 is clearly the number one browser on the market for now, it's also very important to note that Microsoft's in-house browser takes all three places of the podium with previous versions.
Internet Explorer 8 is the second most-used browser worldwide with a share of 17.31 percent, while Internet Explorer 9 comes third with 8.58 percent.
Firefox 32 and Google Chrome 38 are the only non-Microsoft browsers in top 5, with shares of 7.61 percent and 6.75 percent, respectively. Internet Explorer 10, the default Windows 8 browser that's also available for those on Windows 8, is way behind with only 6.09 percent of the market.
Microsoft also readying new IE versions
While Internet Explorer 11 has finally managed to become the world's number one browser, Microsoft is also working on a new version of the application which could launch with Windows 10 in spring 2015.
Internet Explorer 12 is internally codenamed Spartan, sources say, but the name is very unlikely to be used for the final product when it comes out. Microsoft is, however, planning a major revamp of the browser, including extensions and a completely new look that could bring it in line with rivals.
More to come on IE12 in the coming months, as an early version of the browser could be included in a Technical Preview build of Windows 10.