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StatCounter and Net Applications have just released their latest report on global web browser usage and, at least according to the former, Google's three-year-old Chrome browser has already surpassed Firefox in terms of usage. Net Applications still has Firefox ahead by 4 percentage points, but either way the trend is crystal clear and it's just a matter of time before Chrome takes in the second spot behind IE.
StatCounter reports that Chrome took 25.7% of the worldwide market last month, up from just 4.66% two years ago, compared to Firefox’s 25.23 percent. It's a marginal win, but a win nonetheless. Meanwhile, Net Applications says Chrome gained 0.7% in November to 18.2%, while Firefox dropped 0.4 percentage points to 22.1% in the same period. By the latter's estimates, Chrome could outpace Firefox by March 2012.
StatCounter Global Browser Usage
That's a massive achievement for Google in just a little over three years, even more so considering Opera has tried for years with a very capable alternative but currently holds less than 2% market share worldwide.
Microsoft's Internet Explorer maintains a strong lead with somewhere between 40.63% and 52.63% globally, depending on which source you trust the most. Safari holds a mere 5-6% when it comes to desktop browsers, but dominates the mobile space with 55% usage, according to Net Applications latest figures. Also in mobiles, the Android browser had bumped Opera Mini aside in October for the second-place spot, but in November, Opera Mini took some share back. They now hold 20.1% and 16% of that market, respectively.
Net Applications Global Mobile Browser Usage
Mobile browsers still represent a relatively small portion of the market, but with smartphones and tablets use growing exponentially mobile browsing is also on the rise. According to Net Applications' data for November, browser usage on personal computers represented 92% of the market while mobile devices took 6.7%.
User Comments: 46
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If you are worried about "botnet", get the Comodo Dragon instead.
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I've been addicted to Opera the last 10 or so years, I just love it.
RAM is cheap nowdays, with 20>30 or so tabs open it only uses ca 500MB for me...
But there is always a solution
[link] I am as well, Opera has been my browser for many years. I thought we established a while back that the more intelligent and discriminating use Opera.
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Not surprising, in Sydney, Australia there are Chrome billboards at nearly every train station!
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I'm using Opera right now. I couldn't surf the web without it!!
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CC - Opera doesn't support ActiveX. Also here is an article about NotScript (NoScript like features for Opera).
Archean - I often have about that many tabs open, don't have any problem with responsiveness. I use Opera on Windows 7 and OS X 10.7.
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Still have FF here and love it with the occasional Chrome usage. I've had Opera installed for many years too but sadly could never get into it
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Say what??? Of course Chrome has a sidebar of bookmarks. Do you know what "extensions" are? Go to the Chrome Web Store and search for bookmarks.
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i can't think why i found chrome worse than useless
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Actually captaincranky, someone bumped the best browser thread in Software Apps and I found this gem: http://www.techspot.com/vb/post1070735-16.html
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I use IE9 on W7 and FF on Kubuntu Linux. Tried Chrome (Chromium), but didn't like it's minimilist interface and reputation as spyware.
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I am as well, Opera has been my browser for many years. I thought we established a while back that the more intelligent and discriminating use Opera.I've established that those suffering with a superiority complex all seem to use Opera. I offer the above captioned quote as evidence of this. I've been addicted to Opera the last 10 or so years, I just love it.I would mention that this is uncharacteristically cavalier. It doesn't rise to my extremely high standard of haughty arrogance, but it is, at the very least, a valiant attempt.
RAM is cheap nowdays, with 20>30 or so tabs open it only uses ca 500MB for me...
But there is always a solution
While 8GB RAM DIMMs are obviously an alternative for some, but not so much for others.
It doesn't seem enticing to acquiesce that Opera requires enough RAM to cause the prospective user to buy another computer with a 64 bit OS, to render the browser's best case utility.
ATM, FF 3.6 is plugging along nicely with 110 tabs open in 5 windows. Memory usage being about 661 MB.
Sadly, I don't choose to close 80+ tabs, for a more direct comparison.
Actually captaincranky, someone bumped the best browser thread in Software Apps and I found this gem: http://www.techspot.com/vb/post1070735-16.htmlI can tell almost the exact same story twice. This is a bad thing? The only problem would be, I forgot I told it the first time. Otherwise, I would have copied and pasted it, and saved myself a bunch of typing.Carrying on with the good news / bad news / bad news, theme , I hijacked Red's Happy Birthday thread. It was the least I could do. The bad news is, I also hijacked it last year, and forgot that the thread was even there. Even more bad news, nobody thought to start a "Happy Birthday captaincranky" thread. While I don't deny it's understandable, it's nonetheless, disappointing. Isn't anybody the slightest bit concerned that a turn of events such as this might embitter me further?...
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I'll agree with you that not everyone is in a situation to take advantage of cheap ddr3 ram. I'm using ddr2 on my desktop and to bump that to 8 gigs its far out of my budget. But I did bump my laptop to 8 for $30, only to find similar ram $10 cheaper a few days later. 8 gigs for $20 is something I don't think we've ever seen before (well of course not, but I mean that in a relative sense, like 2 gigs back in 2002 or something).
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I am as well, Opera has been my browser for many years. I thought we established a while back that the more intelligent and discriminating use Opera.
Its because of the red isnt it?
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Umm...FF fans...when I installed FF on my older computer it took >45 seconds *just to load up* while Chrome was nearly instantaneous. Grant you this was several years ago.
Now, I know you all have awesome 3D accelerated computers just to surf web pages and your Grandma just 'needs to get a life' and buy that Alienware laptop, but perhaps you're not the whole browser market...
Speed is a fundamental feature, not a luxury...just take a look at IE's market share...
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I have switched to Chrome now that the add-ons are becoming more useful. Unfortunately, Firefox has become too bloated for me and I have become increasingly fed up with the need to keep releasing versions that seem to just add to the amount of system resources required to run but no real improvement in function
I just want a browser built for stress free and safe browsing. Firefox has become the IE of old I fear.
Chris UK
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true, but i used ie and mse.
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I have switched to Chrome now that the add-ons are becoming more useful. Unfortunately, Firefox has become too bloated for me and I have become increasingly fed up with the need to keep releasing versions that seem to just add to the amount of system resources required to run but no real improvement in functionYou know Chris, Google has forced the accelerated version numbering paradigm on Mozilla, with their own BS renumbering of minute updates as full blown browser "versions".
I just want a browser built for stress free and safe browsing. Firefox has become the IE of old I fear.
Chris UK
In this day and age, many people are fairly cavalier about system resources, with 64 bit OSes, and memory at less than $10,00 bucks a gig. So, "Why The Face".
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Staff
I would mention that this is uncharacteristically cavalier. It doesn't rise to my extremely high standard of haughty arrogance, but it is, at the very least, a valiant attempt.
While 8GB RAM DIMMs are obviously an alternative for some, but not so much for others.
It doesn't seem enticing to acquiesce that Opera requires enough RAM to cause the prospective user to buy another computer with a 64 bit OS, to render the browser's best case utility.
ATM, FF 3.6 is plugging along nicely with 110 tabs open in 5 windows. Memory usage being about 661 MB.
Sadly, I don't choose to close 80+ tabs, for a more direct comparison.
In this day and age, many people are fairly cavalier about system resources, with 64 bit OSes, and memory at less than $10,00 bucks a gig. So, "Why The Face".
Hmm, while I was being mildly sarcastic in my original post, I kind of feel a tremble in the force with these two quotes.
And no, English is not my native language, so it took me a while to understand your post, hence the delay in replying
Oh, and happy birthday, but don't you think you'd have more chance of seeing a birthday thread if you filled out your birthday in your profile?
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Happy B'day Captain, I'm sure your stomach can handle whatever you can throw at it today
+1 to Per
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danhodge said:
Opera or Chrome for me, but either way, Internet Explorer doesn't deserve #1 placings there.
Also, W3 statistics say that Chrome and Firefox have a higher browser usage than internet Explorer - so are 'StatCounter' and 'Net Applications' just counting for the amount of people that use IE, or the amount they are used? Im guessing it is the prior, as W3 is the latter (which does tell you a lot about Internet Explorer users actually).
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Oh ....BTW
Most people that use Firefox, use either "NoScript", or "AdBlock Plus".
With either of those extensions in play, you can avoid being followed around by Google. (To one extent or another).
With that said and done, I guess you're browser choice will, as a matter of convenience, not be acknowledged by Google.
C'mon now, Google can't go around telling advertisers that Chrome isn't as popular as FF, now can it?
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