Browser wars heating up again - Posted By SYD BOLTON
Just when I'd gotten comfortable cruising around with Microsoft's Internet Explorer 8, I received a notice indicating that version 9 is ready for a test drive preview and I can go get it at http://ie.microsoft.com/testdrive/Default.html(and apparently you can too, because nobody told me I couldn't share this with you).
The reason I probably was just starting to feel comfortable with IE8 is because I hardly use it. Unfortunately, there are still some things I must use IE for at work (we have implemented numerous Microsoft technologies that rely on specific features found only in Internet Explorer) but for my day-to-day browsing I find that I'm using Google's Chrome more and more.
Chrome ( http://www.google.com/chrome)has been steadily gaining market share according to w3schools.comwith February of this year showing 11.6% penetration in the market. Safari (from Apple) seems to be holding its own in the last three months at 3.8% and Opera -the renegade browser -dropped slightly to 2.1%.
When you look at the combined statistics from Internet Explorer versions 6, 7, and 8, you get approximately 35.3% market share and Firefox sits at 46.5%. How can this be?
I thought that IE still dominates the planet? It does. The problem with statistics is that you have to be careful of their source. It turns out this is the statistics from the W3 School, which tends to have a lot of developers. This makes sense now. Developers and computer people are more apt to use something such as Firefox, and less likely to use IE.
Why? Is there something that developers know that the general public doesn't? Of course there is. Most developers and IT professionals will tell you Firefox is a safer, better platform to use than IE. Yet users tend to just use what is included with their computer. If a mechanic told you that there was a better oil to use for your car, wouldn't you follow that advice? Sadly, most don't.
If you look at Statcounter's statistics (they provide statistics and logging for a wide variety of websites, including most of mine) they do show a general decline in use of Internet Explorer but it's still at around 54.5%. I find this number more realistic. It shows Firefox on a pretty even trend sitting at 31.28% and Chrome on the increase with 7.19%.
If you haven't tried out a new browser in a while, I'd encourage you to give Chrome a whirl. It's familiar and yet fast and powerful and has a feature that many people try to use without realizing it doesn't work in other browsers. Instead of having separate "search" boxes and "URL" boxes (where you put actual web addresses) Chrome decides it will figure out when you are asking for a specific web address versus when you are wanting to do a keyword search. This is a very handy feature and I thought it might
slow things down a bit but it seems to work quickly and well for me.
Overall, what is great about Firefox, Internet Explorer, Chrome, Safari, Opera and the rest of the "other" browsers is that they all foster competition for each other. Even though most are free they push each other to improve performance, while adding features and making the overall experience a more positive one for the user.
We also often forget that there are browsers out there for very specific tasks. For example, WebbIE is designed for blind and visually impaired people. Instead of relying on the operating system to make other browsers easier to use, this one is designed to be accessible from the very beginning. You can download it and find out more at http://www.webbie.org.uk.
So try a new browser and send me your thoughts on how it goes. I'm curious to know your experiences.
I'm looking forward to the next generation. Our window into the world of the Internet just a little bigger.
Syd Bolton is the curator of the Personal Computer Museum ( http://www.pcmuseum.ca)and the manager of information technology at ACIC / Methapharm. You can reach him via e-mail at sbolton@bfree. on.caor by
snail mail care of The Expositor, 53
Dalhousie St., Brantford, N3T 5S8.
