IE 11 use surges post-launch of Windows 7 version
Internet Explorer 11 saw a gain of almost two percentage points in all desktop browser traffic recorded by Net Applications in November.
Microsoft's Internet Explorer 11 has a chunk of new users thanks to its debut on Windows 7.
IE 11's share of desktop browser traffic jumped to 3.27 percent last month, according to Web tracker Net Applications, a hefty rise from the 1.49 percent recorded in October. But the gain isn't surprising.
Internet Explorer 11 debuted as part of the Windows 8.1 preview launched in June. Microsoft unveiled a version for Windows 7 on November 7, opening the floodgates for a surge in additional adopters. IE 11 is also available as an "important" update in Windows 7, which means some users may install it automatically as part of the usual crop of updates.
The new version of the browser includes most of the improvements seen in the Windows 8 edition, minus the touch-screen support. Microsoft claims that IE 11 is faster and more secure than rival browsers, such as Firefox and Google Chrome.
Overall, Internet Explorer had been losing ground to the competition but has rebounded over the past year, according to Net Applications' stats. Last month, IE's share of Web traffic was 58.3 percent, leaving Firefox in second place with 18.5 percent and Chrome in third with 15.4 percent.
On the mobile front, Chrome surged in November, scoring 8.33 percent of mobile browser traffic, up from 6.85 percent in October. Safari's dominance has been dwindling the past year though it's still on top with a 55.6 percent share last month.