Firefox Now #1 Browser in the World

Data collected by the online analytics site StatCounter published this week highlights Firefox 3.5 and the most commonly used browser on the web today. The stats, based on aggregated browser usage data over the second half of the year, pinpoints the specific 3.5 version of the application as the reigning winner.

According to the site, "Stats are based on aggregate data collected by StatCounter on a sample exceeding 5 billion pageviews per month collected from across the StatCounter network of more than 3 million websites. Stats are updated and made available every 4 hours, however are subject to quality assurance testing and revision for 7 days from publication."

The surprising news comes upon the heels of a massive Internet Explorer 7 to Internet Explorer 8 migration, which has split the former browser king's market share. Nonetheless, trends seem to favor Firefox in the long run, however, as its user base has steadily grown while IE's has been in regular decline in the last few years, according to a Mashable report.

For the visually oriented: a graphical representation on axiis.org shows the current aggregate data charted in the shape of the distinctive Firefox logo explains it all.