Google splits browser opposition
Google’s new Chrome Web browser is now out and is already proving popular with online fans. Although it isn’t yet available for Mac OSX or Linux, online watchers StatCount and Net Applications estimate that the new entrant to the browser wars has already claimed 1% market share.
And while 1% of market share doesn’t sound a lot it is enough to steam ahead of Opera and Netscape according to Net Applications (http://tinyurl.com/5r4zzm).
Apple’s Safari browser is still a good 5% ahead of Chrome at around 6% market share and Firefox sits at a comfortable 20% share.
But, even if Chrome exceeds all records for growth in the comings days it still has a long way to go to reach the dominant Internet Explorer group of browsers which Net Applications estimates control more than 70% of the market.
Threat to Firefox
Custom built, as it is, to make the best of online applications Chrome is likely to be more of a threat to Firefox’s growth than it will be to Internet Explorer. The bulk of the Internet Explorer users are not the types to rush out and download a new browser just because it is hyped up. They are the users that found IE installed on their machine when they bought it and they are happy enough to stick with it.
Firefox users, on the other hand, are constantly looking for the "next big thing". They are the ones using Google Docs, online applications and Web 2.0, the types that will appreciate a new browser if it is faster, has better Javascript performance and works better with their GMail account.
The coming months are going to be interesting to watch o see whether Firefox loses some of its gains as early-adopters switch to Chrome.
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