Wednesday, July 11, 2012

are those chrome bumpers?


Our blog pal, John Calypso of Viva Veracruz, mused the other day about his long history with computers.  He had some interesting things to say about Chrome, Google's browser.

I am not a Chrome user, though I have a couple of acquaintances who are.  I am a Firefox guy  And have been for some time.  I abandoned Internet Explorer as my alternate browser when it refused to display my revised blog format.

Not too long ago that would have been nothing more than a solipsistic indulgence.  After all, I may write my blog for my amusement, but I put it on line for other people to see.  And a vast majority of readers within recent memory would have been using Internet Explorer.

But, as John noted, the times they are a'changin'.

When I first experienced the format glitch using Internet Explorer, I checked my user statistics to get an idea how many people were still using Internet Explorer.  If a majority were still on the Gates bandwagon, I would revise my blog banner.

The plurality of users were still using Internet Explorer.  But barely 40%.

I checked again this past week.  You can see the results at the top of this post.  The number of Internet Explorer users has dropped to barely one-third.  With Firefox and Safari quickly closing in.

Those numbers are interesting.  And a good reminder for those of us who were at one point concerned about how much internet territory the Redmond giant controlled. 

But competition matters.  Give customers a better option, and they will choose it.

Maybe I should give Chrome a test drive.  And see what mexpatriate looks like through its windscreen.

23 comments:

Barry said...

Steve:
Your new blog format looks great in Chrome!
Barry

John Calypso said...

I have no explanation for the fact that I use both Firefox and Chrome. Mostly Firefox - but I have had the occasional upgrade bump - so I switched to Chrome until Firefox figured it out. - but I always go back to Firefox.  I also use Thunderbird which is a real love/hate relationship!

But I do really like the voice search feature in Chrome and will have it around if just for that.

And I think everyone should use DISQUS for comments and NEVER use that obscure letter system to avoid spammers.

Tancho said...

I started using chrome a few weeks ago, especially for the voice recognition. Made my old iPhone work like the new model.
The IPad which I am presently using works very well with this freeware.
I may check out discus, since so many people are touting it's use. One down side I think is that it demands that reader who want to respond have to sign up.....
We quit using all the Microsoft stuff when they decided to have to keep upgrading the software every year or two, which then would not allow many of our computers to work, unless we upgraded again and again.
There are at least 3 or 4 free OS and applications like word and excellent that are free and al,ost look like the MS versions which don't require buying them every year.......

Steve Cotton said...

 There's another vote to give it a try.

Steve Cotton said...

 Amen on the comment application.  Google's obsession was eye-blurring passwords is enough for me to stop commenting on some blogs.

sparks said...

Tried twice to install DISQUS and all I get is a # .... with no code.  If they had code to cut-n-paste but can't find any

b m said...

Looks fine in Chrome.
I have been a Chrome user for a few years and prefer it to all others.
My back up is Firefox, I never use IE unless a website demands it, like the INM site here in Mex. did to print off their forms the year before last year.  Last year I don't know as I remembered from the year before and just went to IE to begin with.
That is the only site that I have been on that required you to use IE.
For me Chrome seems to be faster and easier to use than any of the others.
I have tried Safari and Opera over the years and got rid of them for one reason or the other after a while.
 

sparks said...

Finally with Firefox

Cineguy said...

True, it does.  I switched to Firefox from IE back in high school and from Firefox to Chrome in college.  Never seen a reason to go back.  Chrome seems more responsive overall and less cluttered to me. Of course I also use Gmail and am happy with it as well.  Google-it, that's what I say!     

NW said...

I use Mosiac.

NW said...

I got "spell checked"
I use Mosaic..

Gary Denness said...

For years and years I used quirky little Opera. I would regularly give Firefox a go, but it would invariably break, slow down or otherwise go buggy. I liked Opera. But from version 10, that started to go buggy too. I hear Facebook might but it. If I were Microsoft, I'd get in there first, turn their built-in email client and feed reader into a snazzy Window Live/MS Office add on. But I'm not, and I wouldn't imagine they will. Not while there's the carcass of IE to flog for a bit longer...

I converted to Chrome shortly after it was released. Your blog, and every other blog I read looks just fine Steve. 

Incidentally, I have all four browsers on my laptop. And to be completely honest, I'd actually use IE ahead of Firefox these days. If I were forced to choose between just them two. With a gun to my head, sort of thing...

Steve Cotton said...

Another product endorsed.

Steve Cotton said...

I thought it was a new adjectival form for "lawgiver."

Steve Cotton said...

I would probably still be an IE-user if it had not started stripping out my banner.  I have had a series of Firefox crashes recently.  I may give Chrome a try.

Steve Cotton said...

It is interesting how we migrate from browser to browser.  But I was also a big Netscape user.

Steve Cotton said...

It has been so long since I installed mine, I cannot remember most of the process.  Maybe we should discuss it over another dinner.

Steve Cotton said...

I am surprised you never pushed me to switch.

Steve Cotton said...

I just downloaded Chrome.  And like most applications, it tries to be far too helpful.   It assumes because I am in Mexico, my primary language is Spanish.  And we all know better.  For instance, almost every word in this reply is underlined in red.  Because, in Spanish, they would be misspelled.  I spent about a half hour trying to find a language option.  But, of course, all of the labels are in Spanish.  I suppose I will work it out before long.   

Laurie Matherne said...

Chrome is faster. Google all the way. Never going back to Safari or IE or Firefox. You can play around with it and it will quit asking  you to translate to Spanish. 

sparks said...

IE 8 and XP is really bad but I can't upgrade to 9 or 10 without Windows 7.  You need IE to get MS updates which are important but .... arghhhh

Steve Cotton said...

It is one big infuriating circle.

I just deleted Chrome.  I got frustrated with my own inability to convince the browser it was wasting its time talking to me in Spanish.

Steve Cotton said...

I surrendered and deleted Chrome.  I will load it when I am in The States at the end of the month.

I am having similar problems with my favorite cruise site.  It will now only display Spanish and then price the cruise in pesos.