In the past 24 hours, the news broke that Microsoft will be retiring Internet Explorer after 26 years of service to consumers. This isn’t the first time that Microsoft has declared discontinuation of its beloved browser, as previous reports from the company stated that they would stop supporting updates for Internet Explorer as soon as August 2021. However, it has been officially announced that support for the web browser will discontinue on June 15 2022, leaving Edge to take center stage for Microsoft users.
According to CNN Business (2021), Internet Explorer stopped being compatible on all 365 apps as well as Microsoft Teams – an app that has been an extremely important source for many employees and students having to work from home during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The service has been on the decline for quite some time. According to StatCounter (2021), Internet Explorer held a mere 4.45% share in browser usage from consumers compared to Google Chrome who held an incredible 66% across all available browsers.
Here is some more information on some of the most popular internet browsers that people use today:
Google Chrome
Google Chrome is the most popular internet browser today with 6 in 10 people opting for Chrome to surf the internet (Oberlo, 2021). Many reasons center around the user experience – the app is well integrated into most websites and has a variety of settings like dark mode that you can use to personalise your browsing time.
Chrome was one of the first to bring minimalism to the browser, making it easier for people to use without a lot of unnecessary buttons and icons making the page look cluttered and confused. In the earlier days of Chrome, users’ most visited sites would pop up as soon as the app was opened, meaning they could access their favourite sites in one click.
Because of the success of Chrome, the familiarity of the brand has now expanded to other products such as Chromecast and Chromebook.
Safari takes second place in web browser popularity with a 13.01% market share as of this year (StatCounter, 2021). The software was developed by Apple and launched back in 2003. It was initially designed for their products such as iOS, MacOS and iPad pro, but expanded to versions outside of the brand in 2007.
With an easy and convenient approach to the user experience, the technology company is well-known for their easy synchronisation between products and their web browser makes no exception – data collected from internet searches, passwords etc, is stored into the iCloud and kept for future reference. This is a valuable tool that caters to an easy and painless navigation of websites that has been received very well by consumers.
Microsoft Edge
Edge first appeared in 2015 and is the default browser for many Microsoft services such as Xbox and Windows 10. Edge will be Microsoft’s main web browser due to the retirement of its predecessor. It contains important features spanning from a favourites bar, reading list and browsing history section that users have quick access to on the page.
The app’s Javascript performance is what makes it stand out amongst the competition and why it’s still a go-to choice for many users, performing significantly faster than Google Chrome and Firefox. Also in 2016, Edge proved to provide more power efficiency compared to competitor web browsers, a feature that people received exceptionally.
Mozilla Firefox
Mozilla released Firefox in 2002 and still holds its place as a popular web browser amongst users. It peaked its success in 2009 with a market share of 32.21%(StatCounter 2009) and 7.79% of users still opt for Mozilla to this day. It is available for platforms like Windows, macOS and Linux.
It possesses a number of valuable features including spell-checking, private browsing and a download manager that enhance the user experience and allow for ease of web browsing. In 2019, Techradar named Mozilla Firefox as the fastest web browser amongst the competition – an outcome that is overshadowed by Google Chrome’s dominance of the market.
How has Google Chrome remained so popular?
Google Chrome is constantly advertised on the Google search engine, reaching a large audience of users who visit the site daily. The reputation that the company has from its search engine and products have a great impact, customers want to build trust with brands and see Google as a reliable and familiar face, making it easier for them to reach new markets – in this case, holding the top spot for remaining the most popular web browser.
It has a sleek and efficient layout that is received positively from consumers and allows navigation of web pages to be completed with ease. A reason for Chrome’s success over Microsoft Edge is due to the advertisement of Bing that puts people off using Edge – a search engine that isn’t utilised to the degree that Google’s search engine is.
Google Chrome feels like a new and fresh web browser, from the design to the fast response time and easy navigation. Other browsers like Firefox and Edge feel outdated in design and don’t respond as efficiently and aren’t as integrated as Chrome – an easy decision to make for a lot of people.
Web browsers perform differently on different devices
There are many different available web browsers for your device. It can be difficult deciding which one works best for you. Most users tend to stick to the default browser associated with the device they’re using. For example, a Macbook or an iMac will work more efficiently in Apple’s Safari browser as opposed to something like Mozilla Firefox. This is because of a mixture of browser performance and Apple’s features being integrated into their devices like passwords and bookmarks through the iCloud, making the UX easy and convenient for Apple consumers.
As a local tech support and PC repair company in Manchester, we can provide support regarding this matter that is tailored to your specific IT needs. If you are based in or around the Manchester area, do not hesitate to contact us to discuss your queries.
