Browsers battle for market share: Google Chrome usage increases 10-fold in two years

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Internet Explorer’s grip is loosening on the global Web browser market.

Browsers like Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox are soaking up more of the global browser market share, according to StatCounter.com, a website that monitors browser usage.

Microsoft Internet Explorer’s usage has dropped to 49.87 percent of the global browser market as of September, a signifcant drop from its 67.16 percent prevalence two years ago.

Paul Albee, computer science assistant professor, attributed the decrease in Internet Explorer usage to the customization available in other Web browsers.

“The other browsers are a little more flexible and maybe a little faster,” he said. “In the past, (Internet Explorer) was slow and buggy and had a number of security holes.”

Redford freshman Dave Brimhall said he has used Microsoft’s browser for years.

“Its accessibility is real easy,” he said. “Internet Explorer has a lot of pop-ups if the pop-up blocker is off.”

Brimhall said he mainly uses Internet Explorer out of habit. While Microsoft’s browser is a bit cluttered, he said he does not see the point in switching to different browsers.

Chrome shines

StatCounter stated Google Chrome usage increased ten-fold from September 2008 to September 2010, absorbing 11.54 percent of global Internet users.

Chrome is the fastest growing Web browser on the market.

“I have used Google Chrome, it works pretty well although it has some security ramifications,” Albee said. “The fact that all your browsing is now tied to a user name is a little troubling.”

Grand Rapids senior Dan Morse said he switched to Chrome from Mozilla Firefox.

“I actually found Firefox took a long time to start up on my computer,” he said. “When I use Chrome, it loads up really fast and it’s fast going site to site.”

As a Gmail user, Morse said he likes the way his e-mail service has been integrated into his Web browser. He also likes Chrome’s URL address bar, which also acts as a Google search box.

“I really like the minimal interface,” he said.

Firefox and Safari

Romeo sophomore Steve Foran said Mozilla Firefox has been his preferred browser of choice for more than five years.

“Mozilla’s definitely the best one I’ve used,” he said. “I know that it runs a lot better than most browsers.”

Foran said the huge array of customizable plug-ins available to Firefox make the browser the ultimate experience in personalization.

One of the most important features in a Web browser is speed, Foran said, and Firefox competes with the other browsers on the market.

“I produce music, so I need speed,” he said. “If I have a deadline to release a song for a band, I need the browser to cooperate.”

Firefox has 31.5 percent of global market usage and Safari with 4.42 percent, according to StatCounter.com.

Laingsburg senior Ben Murphy said he also likes using Safari for his Web browsing needs.

“It’s the one I’ve gotten most familiar with,” he said. “I also enjoy that it doesn’t ask me a million questions about passwords and all that.”