Google Chrome overtakes IE as top browser for first time

PanARMENIAN.Net - Internet Explorer is still the world's top browser, but for a day over the weekend, it feel to second place.

According to Stat Counter, which analyzes browser market share worldwide, Chrome was the most-used browser globally on March 18, just inching out Internet Explorer for top billing. The browser was put over the edge by strong usage in India, Russia, and Brazil, Stat Counter said.

However, unfortunately for Chrome, it was a short-lived victory: by March 19, Internet Explorer was back on top.

"While it is only one day, this is a milestone," StatCounter CEO Aodhan Cullen said in a statement yesterday. "Whether Chrome can take the lead in the browser wars in the long term remains to be seen, however the trend towards Chrome usage at weekends is undeniable. At weekends, when people are free to choose what browser to use, many of them are selecting Chrome in preference to Internet Explorer."

StatCounter's findings on weekend usage compared to weekday usage is rather interesting. It indicates that users might be using Internet Explorer on their work machines, but when home on weekends and on their own computers, they're running Google's browser.

According to StatCounter, back in January, Chrome's global daily market share stood at around 28 percent, compared to roughly 38 percent for Internet Explorer. Since then, Chrome's market share has been steadily increasing to around 32 percent, while Internet Explorer's has declined. StatCounter's data is based on its analysis of three million Web sites. All told, the company analyzes 15 billion page views each month, including 4 billion in the U.S., CNET reported.