Report: WinXP Loses Majority Share; IE User IQs Lower

For the first time in years, Microsoft's Windows XP operating system has sunk below a majority share of the operating system market. The report comes just as a new study finds that Microsoft Internet Explorer users are slightly less savvy than users of other web browsers.

According to Microsoft, Windows XP is now used by 49.84 per cent of all Internet users world-wide. Although the operating system (OS) is still the most widely-used system in the world, that percentage of the total market represents its lowest point in several years.

Luckily for Microsoft, the damage hasn't been done by Google's Chrome or Mac OS X -- in fact, it's suggested that Windows 7 was the key reason for the drop. The company predicts that Windows 7 will surpass Windows XP in terms of overall popularity by this time next year. (Source: arstechnica.com)

Internet Explorer Market Share Continues Decline

Other statistics for July, 2011 show that Internet Explorer (IE) usage continues to decline, down 0.87 points to 52.81 per cent of the overall web browser market.

Mozilla's Firefox is also down, though just 0.19 points, to 21.48 per cent. Winners last month were Chrome and Safari, which both saw boosts of 0.34 (13.45%) and 0.57 (8.05%), respectively.

On a related note, a new study by Canadian-based analysts AptiQuant has reportedly linked intelligence to web browser use. The study tested the intelligence quotient (IQ)  of 100,000 Internet users. (Source: cbsnews.com)

Study: Chrome, Firefox Users Brighter Than IE Users

The results of the study suggest that Internet Explorer 6 users had the lowest IQs of any participants, while Internet Explorer 8 users fared only slightly better. Finishing considerably higher in the study were Firefox, Chrome and Safari users.

"The study showed a substantial relationship between an individual's cognitive ability and their choice of web browser," AptiQuant said in a blog post related to the study. "From the test results, it is a clear indication that individuals on the lower side of the IQ scale tend to resist a change / upgrade of their browsers."