Internet Explorer still enjoys an enviable market share, with 93 percent of desktops running the browser. But alternative browsers are making gains, as the Microsoft browser, which enjoyed a longtime lock on the market, actually lost market share for the first time in a long time. . . .
Internet Explorer still enjoys an enviable market share, with 93 percent of desktops running the browser. But alternative browsers are making gains, as the Microsoft browser, which enjoyed a longtime lock on the market, actually lost market share for the first time in a long time.

Some users are turning to alternatives such as Mozilla and Opera because they carry fewer security risks and fewer patches to download They also provide features, such as tabbed browsing, not available in Internet Explorer.

Users making the switch need to deal with installation, training, support, and problems viewing some Web sites that were optimized for Internet Explorer. But for many users, the hassles are worth the trouble.

Internet Explorer's vulnerability to spyware was a major concern for Thomas Straight, information systems administrator of NemcoMed, an Ohio manufacturer of medical devices.

"We monitor outgoing traffic for suspicious activity and recently found up to 60 unauthorized threads running on client workstations with IE. That coupled with the endless IE patches takes a toll on IT resources. After the trial none of the Mozilla workstations showed any malware or spyware."

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