Chrome: The people's Web browser choice

For a day, Chrome was the top Web browser in the world. It won

Yes. It's true. For one day, March 18th, 2012, Chrome, and not Internet Explorer (IE), was the most popular Web browser in the world. It won't be the last day. While the start of the work week put IE comfortably back on top. When users aren't chained to their desks, they're choosing to use Google's speedy Chrome.

StatCounter, the Web-site analytics company research arm StatCounter Global Stats found that Chrome was the number one browser in the world that day. StatCounter data comes fron over 15 billion page views per month (4 billion from the US) to the StatCounter network of more than three million websites

"While it is only one day, this is a milestone," said Aodhan Cullen, StatCounter's CEO in a statement. He added that Chrome still faces a battle to unseat its main rivals including IE and Firefox in many regions. While Chrome is often number one in Brazil, India, and Russia Chrome remains in 2nd or 3rd place in China, United States and Germany.

"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 IE," concluded Cullen.

On the weekends, people are turning to Chrome for their Web browsing.

IE use has been declining for years now. Indeed, if you look just at which particular version of a Web browser is the most popular, you'll see the most current edition of Chrome is the top single Web browser version. When it comes to mobile Web browsers, where Google's native Android browser recently moved up to number one, IE is a total non-starter.

Desktop, tablet, or smartphone, now that Chrome is also moving to mobile platforms as well, the people are speaking and they're saying that they want Chrome for their Web browser. The trend towards increased Chrome use over the weekend is clear. Chrome's speed and relatively better security is winning it fans by the day. Within a few months, Chrome will rule the weekend. Then, with the rise of the "bring your own device" (BYOD) movement, it seems that within a year or so Chrome, and not IE, will be the world's most popular Web browser all the time.

Web browser charts courtesy of StatCounter.

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