Google hits Microsoft where it hurts -- the browser

[Jazzy]

Google's (GOOG) Chrome browser has overtaken Microsoft (MSFT) Internet Explorer as the most popular Web interface in the U.S.

A study by software maker Adobe Systems shows Chrome with 31.8 percent of the browser market, compared with 30.9 percent for IE and 25 percent for Apple's (AAPL) Safari. Mozilla Firefox's share of the market dropped to 8.7 percent, from almost 20 percent just two years ago.

The shift underscores the importance of free software in a continuing three-way battle between Google, Microsoft and Apple for control of how consumers interact with the Internet. Both Google and Apple enjoy the advantage of large mobile presences, which allows them to promote their own browsers. In addition, Google has gained significant ground on PCs.

Although Microsoft long held a home-field advantage with its domination in PC operating systems, the company's Windows Phone platform has a tiny market share for mobile browsers. Usage of Firefox's mobile platform depends on consumers downloading and installing it on their devices as an app. People want a "consistent experience across devices," according to Adobe Digital Index, a site that covers digital marketing trends.

Full article

I'm using Chrome as my browser.

What browser do you use?

 

[gaze-universe]

Firefox and chrome. I've tried opera and comodo dragon.

 

[~KAGE-008]

Chrome and nothing else.

 

[Ishikawa]

Chrome is fast and simple but, w/ the revelations data warehousing, I'm thinking IE is prolly better in that regard plus, its prolly safer on the security side. I'm no expert, just my opinion. I was initially a chrome only user for @ 2 years. Then my University library had FF, & I've never looked back. Yeah, FF was slower back in 2011, but it seems to have gotten faster now.

 

[DrLeftover]

IE simply sucks.

Anything is better.

I'd even rather use Opera than IE. It used to be the simplest and fastest going, but then the engineers decided, as engineers will, that it needed a bunch of gee whiz techie features that nobody wants, and it went downhill too.

 

[Evil Eye]

Firefox. I rather dislike Chrome's interface. Even now, when Firefox looks more like Chrome than ever, it's still preferable.

I'd even rather use Opera than IE. It used to be the simplest and fastest going, but then the engineers decided, as engineers will, that it needed a bunch of gee whiz techie features that nobody wants, and it went downhill too.

And now they've even given up on their own engine.

 

[McConnaughay]

Internet Explorer is well-known for being atrocious. I've looked at my options before with Avant, Opera, and Chrome, but I absolutely love how Mozilla is set up. I liked the older versions better, but it's still the best for me.

 

[Tolkin]

Chrome, nothing else. IE still needs some work

 

[EvanP]

I use anything and everything except for Internet Explorer. Google Chrome is my first choice, but I also have Firefox & Opera installed and love both equal amounts.

 

[~KAGE-008]

Chrome, nothing else. IE still needs some work

I use it too and I don't have regrets.

 

[Nebulous]

Hell even Chrome and Firefox are installed on the computers at work, before it was JUST Internet Explorer. Computers come preinstalled with Chrome these days (my phone did too). In a couple years people will be saying "What is Internet Explorer?"