Google Chrome Overtakes Internet Explorer as the Favored Web Browser

Google Chrome has overtaken Internet Explorer (IE) to become the world’s most widely used web browser.  Google Chrome was the world’s most popular web browser for a single weekend in March, but according to StatCounter, it is now more popular than Microsoft’s Internet Explorer and is expected to remain in the top spot for the foreseeable future.

Chrome has beaten a trend that indicated it was going to surpass IE later this summer.  Microsoft dismissed the March figures as inaccurate, but there is a longer-term trend of users choosing Chrome when they can decide for themselves; business IT departments tend to favor IE.  The StatCounter statistics also indicate that Google Android’s built-in browser is now the most popular mobile phone program.  On desktops, Chrome and IE have been on around 33 percent each, but Chrome is currently taking the lead.

Aodhan Cullen, StatCounter’s chief executive, said “At weekends, when people are free to choose what browser to use, many of them are selecting Chrome in preference to IE.”

Writing for Digital Trends, Andrew Couts says that “Of course, the StatCounter numbers are only one estimate.  And others give IE a far more substantial lead.  According to NetMarketShare, for example, IE held on to a whopping 54 percent of the market, as of April.  And Chrome actually comes in third with 18.85 percent, compared to 20.20 percent held by Firefox in NetMarketShare’s study.  That said, StatCounter’s numbers are a trusted metric in the industry, and are far more recent than NetMarketShare’s latest count.”

According to WebProNews’ Sean Patterson, “When Google launched its Chrome browser in 2008, its focus was on speed.  This aimed right at the weakness of the market’s large, slow browsers.  Chrome’s ease of use, combined with its automatic updating features, gave the browser an edge and propelled it into the browser wars with a fury.  This comes at a time when Microsoft has actually improved Internet Explorer.  Microsoft’s browser now has many of the features that Chrome and Firefox sport, and its newest version is faster than previous ones.  Unfortunately, the company has a hard time getting users to upgrade to newer versions of the browser.  Many IT departments don’t bother with the hassle of upgrading browsers on every employee’s computer.  Also, many Internet Explorer users are less computer-savvy users who simply use the browser because it came with their Windows installation.  Some people still use Internet Explorer 6, an outdated, unsupported browser that doesn’t work with much of the modern web.  In fact, according to StatCounter, more people use Internet Explorer 6 than use Opera or Safari 5.1.”