We've been watching Google's Chrome browser shoot for the stars ever since its launch less than four years ago in September 2008 and, at long last, in the 20th week of 2012, the browser officially surpassed Microsoft's Internet Explorer as the most widely used web-browser on the planet, holding 32.77 per cent of the market vs Internet Explorer's 31.94.
Source: StatCounter Global Stats - Browser Market Share
When it was first introduced, Chrome brought with it a radical and new simplified web experience, dispensing with as many menus as possible, focusing on offering as much screen space as it could. Lists of favourites, history and even general search were integrated into a single search box. The browser also promoted stability and security through the use of independent tab processes and sand-boxing, with Chrome remaining the most secure browser to date. From day one, the browser impressed with its V8 Javascript engine, bringing life to the long unoptimised language, helping to make it a core part of the foundation of today's HTML 5 standard.
It could be said that Chrome was responsible for, or at least accelerated us towards, today's web experience, where interactivity plays an ever increasing role in websites, what we now call 'HTML 5' or 'Web 2.0'.
(Note: Proportions are not representative)
With Microsoft expected to shake things up with the release of Internet Explorer 10 and its heavy integration into Windows 8, including ARM-based tablets, it's perhaps a good thing that Chrome has claimed pole position prior to the new OS's release, providing the browser with a good position to defend, with the latest iteration of the browser brining support for new Javascript standards, cloud-synced open tabs and inter-app communication, known as 'Web Intents'.
