Thinking of a web browser usually brings one specific name to mind: Google Chrome. Google surprised everyone in 2008 by launching its Chrome browser to compete with the omnipresent Internet Explorer. It gradually climbed the ranks, battling Microsoft's browser as well as Firefox, to become the most widely used browser, both within Android and in its desktop version.
Going by number of users, Google has no competition whatsoever. Chrome isn't just the most-used browser — it holds that spot by a very wide margin. Statistics show it has 63.06% of users, with Safari its closest pursuer at a distant 19.84%.
Chrome is everywhere. With a set of powerful features, full Google account integration, an extension ecosystem, and a reliable set of apps, it's the browser that sets the path for the rest.
At FullOffice Learning, we put together a list of reasons why Google Chrome has been the undisputed ruler of the so-called Browser Wars since 2012, a position it hasn't given up since.
- Design: Chrome is simple, clean, and has a design built specifically to show more of the web — after all, it was created to view pages.
- Speed: Chrome is far faster than its competition. The difference in performance compared to Internet Explorer and Firefox is truly incredible.
- Memory usage: While the difference with Firefox isn't as big, it also beats Internet Explorer by a wide margin.
- A life of its own: Every tab in Chrome is its own application, which means that if one freezes because of a particular website, you'll only need to close that one and you're done — the rest of the tabs will keep working as if nothing happened.
- Download system: Chrome has a much better download system because it doesn't open a new window that you have to constantly check to see what percentage of the file has downloaded.
- Searches: One of its best features by far is that it automatically remembers the search boxes of any website you visit. There also aren't two separate bars — the single one it has lets you both run searches and enter site addresses.
- Home page: Chrome has a much more personalized home page that shows you the 8 sites you've visited most and lets you choose which ones to keep there permanently or remove the ones you don't want.
- Task manager: Right-clicking the app in the taskbar gives you the option to run the task manager, which will show you every app and website you currently have running.