A milestone in the browser wars

Adobe, at least, is reporting that Google-based browser use on the Internet in the US, has now exceeded Microsoft, with Apple's Safari coming in third and Firefox a distant fourth.

These sorts of stats are always open to dispute and reinterpretation, and this one's results seem counter-intuitive until you realize that it's including mobile usage, including the stock Android browser (not to be confused with the Android Chrome browser). It's also focused on consumer-facing sites, which business users on IE are (theoretically) less likely to it.

Still, it's pretty significant, in terms of reflecting how much browsing is being done on mobile devices, and how both Microsoft and Firefox's failure to penetrate those markets have hurt their overall share. If you look at just desktop, Microsoft is still at 43%, Chrome at 31%.

In the end, what you prefer is what you should use, and a healthy, competitive browser ecosystem (at least one that emphasizes common standards) is of benefit to everyone, as it encourages each company to improve their offering.

(For the record, I'm a Chrome user myself, and have been for some years, after having been a Firefox fan.)

Reshared post from +Doug Dunfee