% Browser usage

[ogletree]

I'm looking at a busy website that targets people with bad credit and I'm seeing 15% firefox users which btw is the same number of people using IE6.

Out of IE users I see:
61% use IE7
24% use IE6
14% use IE8

I'm guessing next year it will be split even between these 3 browsers. That is going to really suck for developers that have to go check all of these. There is no dominate browser any more. Each one of those shows some things different.

[coopster]

Looks like you meant IE8 there. Here nor there, you are correct -- cross-browser development has always been the most difficult task of programming to a user-interface over which you do not have control.

If your target audience has standardized on a certain browser (and version of said browser), you have quite a bit more control. However, even then a management decision to change/convert to the "newer, better" version will send you scurrying if you haven't considered cross-browser delivery.

We feel your pain ...

[ogletree]

My point is in the past cross browser compatibility was not completely necessary. It is at the point now where you have to even if your just focusing on IE browsers.

The stats above are correct IE8 has the least amount of visitors. The number of visitors from IE6 and FF are the same on that site. This was for a site that had 2 million unique visitors over a month.

[coopster]

you have to even if your just focusing on IE browsers

OK, now I understand your point, as well as the percentages -- you were breaking down the percentages once again just for the IE users. I just compared the "15% Firefox" to the nearest percent IE and thought you meant something else there. Thanks for the clarification.

Regarding IE versions showing things different -- it is so important now to download, install and test beta versions too. So, not only do you have to maintain and test your own site updates, you must also track and test the user interface delivery system, the browser updates. I guess we have been doing cross-browser support for so long that it's just one of those "that's what we have to do" type tasks.