The Web Browser Choice

According to the office of national statistics, 70% of UK households are now on the internet which is a rise of around 10% each year since 2006. Of all the households connected to the internet, over 85% have a broadband connection with only 15% on narrowband. This is nothing surprising since everyone knows the internet usage is growing fast. What does surprise me is that around 60% of people are still using Internet Explorer as their web browser of choice as of April 2010 based on data collected by Net Applications. This surprises me because quite simply there are more choices out there, and in my opinion better options than Internet Explorer.

What is a Web Browser?

For those of you don’t know what a web browser is, it is the application you run where you can view web pages. Without this tool, most online activity would be lost to you. The process starts after loading up your chosen web browser and entering a uniform resource identifier (URI) which is essentially the website address, http://www.wmps.com for example. The browser then retrieves the page html and, using the markup, displays the interactive page content. Browsers do this in different ways and web pages will display slightly differently depending on how the page is coded.

Despite Internet Explorer being the dominant model now, this was not always the case. The original web browser that had over 90% of people using it at its peak was Netscape Navigator. This was not even contested until Microsoft used a clever strategy to ensure people used their new product over Netscape’s version.

Why do so many people use Internet Explorer?

Basically Microsoft used to install Internet Explorer (IE) as standard with any computer running Windows. This has been the case since 1995 when the browser was first launched and it is a good reason why a 62% majority usage existed right up to February 2010. A large amount of these users were most likely not aware of any other options.

This changed on March 1^st this year when Microsoft was found to be in breach of competition laws by pre-installing the software on every machine equipped with Windows (currently around 95% of all desktops bought) and they now have to offer a choice to users of the different options available. This is done through an update made to Windows, which prompts users to select a browser and then gives further instructions about its usage.

Whilst this will be ignored by a lot of people, it has opened the doors for the other browsers.  People who have spent time looking into alternatives will reap the rewards with a user experience more suited to their browsing needs. By April this year, usage of IE had already dropped 2%, which shows that the Windows update has had some positive impact on people using different browsers.

This is not to say the pre-install is the only reason people use IE. It is backed by Microsoft which is the largest software company in the world and it has some good features. But that’s no reason for everyone to use it. We wouldn’t all choose the same car to drive around in, or pick the same place to live etc and similarly we are no constrained to one browser.

What are the other web browsers?

There are quite a few options available although there are only 5 in common usage. These are the same 5 promoted in the Windows browser choice update. I have just given some general opinions on each one and put next to it the position given by the Internet Browser Review (IBR), hosted on top 10 reviews, which incorporated a whole stack of comparisons on loading time, features, security and much more.

Microsoft Internet Explorer

Many versions of IE exist, unlike the other browsers which update as standard. IE 6, IE 7, IE 8 are all currently in use with IE 9 coming soon. The browser has some good features such as private browsing, web slices and smart filtering for security purposes. It allows browsing by tabs and other clever features but in general there is nothing that isn’t on other browsers’ functionality lists. IE does seem to have more reported crashes than other browsers, although this could simply be due to its extensive usage. The capability view is a good idea but you have to question why it’s even necessary when the latest version of a browser should just show all web pages correctly first time. IBR ranked it 3^rd of all the browsers. Usage is currently at 60%.

Mozilla Firefox

Firefox is the second most popular browser and for good reason. Mozilla was set up by the same guys who brought us Netscape Navigator and anything the browser lacks in terms of functionality is provided by a whole host of free plug-ins available due to its open source availability. Features such as private browsing, customisable themes, location aware browsing and open audio and video support all add to the experience. The browser is generally the first one to get plug-ins made by third parties and the whole setup is completely customisable. Reports of the latest release have not been as positive as previous versions with more crashes than usual although the browser is ranked 1^st in the IBR review. Currently around 25% of people use Firefox.

Google Chrome

Chrome is quite new and was only released by Google 2 years ago. Rather impressively, nearly 7% of web browsers are already using it.  As with IE, the support that comes with Chrome is from Google which is arguably the most dominant and influential in the internet realm so you can be assured it will continue to receive cutting edge development and new features on a regular basis. Features such as private browsing were introduced early here and the browser also utilises an all in one search box (URI and search box) meaning web searching is easier. The browser also has a handy feature that gives you a preview of your most visited sites. Rated 2^nd by the IBR review, it is likely to be a market leader in the near future with Google’s continued support and the current 7% usage rate is likely to grow quickly.

Opera

Opera is only used by around 2.5% of web users but its is regarded as one of the best available. It is also used heavily on mobile phones and is what the Nintendo Wii uses for its browsing software. Its main features are the speed, as many reviews report it to be the fastest browser available, inbuilt bit torrent downloader, overall download manager and thumbnail preview of web pages. Other features, such as storing different preferences for websites and a reload from page cache option, add to the browsing experience. Opera’s main problem is lack of promotion, which is an area where Google Chrome in particular has excelled. That aside, Opera is rated 4^th by the IBR, although it is worth noting the browser often places first in other reviews where site speed is the focus.

Apple Safari

Like IE on a PC, Safari comes preinstalled on Apple Macs. It works to a high level of compliance with coding industry standards like HTML 5 and CSS3 but the browser only manages to pull in around 5% of all internet users which, considering the support from Apple and the amount of devices that use it, is quite low. Some of the problems are well documented and are based around integration with Adobe Flash. One of the main complaints is the compatibility issues, in that a lot of websites don’t look as good in Safari as other browsers. Whilst this is more a problem for the website developers building these sites, it’s a reason for people not to use it if their favourite sites don’t look right. It does have some good features and looks very nice, but the general opinion is that on a PC it does not work that well. With these features reviewed by IBR, it ranked 5^th and considering the usage of 5% is based on a good % who will have had it preinstalled, it’s not that encouraging.

So which browser is my favourite?

Personally I use Firefox and will continue to do so in the near future mainly because my other choice Opera does not support the same levels of plug-ins. I like the customisation it offers and the wide variety of SEO toolbars that are available. This article is not about which one is best though; it’s more about encouraging choice so here are the opinions of the other members of the WMpS Marketing team:

Kayleigh Browne

“My choice of browser is Firefox. I used to use IE but discovered Firefox when I first started working at WMpS and have stuck with it since. This is mainly because it is secure and has lots of add-ons that help me with my job and I can customise it as and when I like.”

Meghan Burton

“I use Firefox and can’t remember ever using anything else regularly, although I had a brief flirtation with Chrome about six months ago.  I originally liked Firefox because it had tabs (IE didn’t at the time) and it was reputed to be more secure.  I still use it because I enjoy the extensions and themes, every site I go to works on it, and I appreciate Mozilla’s stance on open source.”

Matthew Redford

“I used  IE when getting onto the internet for the first time. I didn’t know any other browsers existed… I didn’t really need to move away from IE at the time – it did all the basic things I needed it to do. My next move was to Firefox where the array of good plug-ins was one of the reasons for switching as well as the improved speed.

I then moved on to and have settled on Google Chrome. It’s lightweight, quick to load, minimal approach. The browser is good for developers and supports a lot of the latest standards in HTML & CSS whilst utilising developer tools to improve page load speeds & identify bugs. Finally I like the combo box at the top for both URLs and Google searches.”

Emma Gray

“I have always used Internet Explorer and have never really thought to change browsers or look into what other options are available.”

Clare Blunt

“I’ll be honest I don’t have the most extensive experience using different browsers. My repertoire consists of IE, Firefox and a dabbling of Chrome. I’d choose either of the latter two over IE any day due to the more sophisticated styling and functionality. I primarily use Firefox at work and have numerous valuable plug-ins; however, using Chrome at home when I don’t have the need for plug-ins easier and simpler.”

For more information about browsers, optimising your website for use in different browsers or anything else in the online world please feel free to contact us.

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