Comments on: How widely used is Chrome? More than I expected

In two months, Google's Chrome rose from nothing to 3.6 percent of browsers used to view CNET News. It's less common in the mainstream though.

[ewhisper]

I have one site that is roughly 33% Chrome traffic. Primary purpose of the site is about internet marketing. Until Chrome has extensions, it has a long ways to go (not to mention that the build in gears often doesn't actually work) to meet firefox. However, it can be useful if you're just messing around the web and don't need any other functionality.

[TibTV]

I like chrome and am using it primarily, but I run IE, Firefox and Chrome at the same time. This allows me to log into multiple google/gmail accounts, log into a particular service as admin, and use a different browser to view the published site. I can also use the browser that works best for a particular site.

[GoogleChromeSoCool]

I hope Chrome leaves Firefox.... and someday maybe even takes over IE

I think if Dell starts making it the default browser(or at least load it on the machine) then it would be used more.... they load google desktop.... why not load Chrome on there as well.... maybe after it is out of BETA..?. none g33ks just dont understand that betas arent perfect and dont judge them the way you would judge IE(a browser that sucks, yet it has been around from the being of time, LOL)

I use Firefox 3.something, IE8 and Chrome....... Firefox and Chrome are both my number 1 used and Chrome is my default

[michaelkpate]

I think you give all the credit where it's due - Molly Wood singing the praise of Chrome every chance she gets on Buzz Out Loud.

Seriously, though, while Firefox is still my primary browser, I usually have Chrome open with a dedicated window for Gmail or Google Reader. That is why I am typing this in Chrome right now since I clicked the link there.

On one computer I use, I usually launch Firefox and then spend a couple of minutes surfing in Chrome waiting for FF to open. When Chrome adds full-fledged plugin capability for things I can't live without like delicious, I just may make the permanent switch.

[tm_anon]

Funny thing, Flock has delicious compatibility native to the browser, is built off of the FF 3.0 engine since it's open source, has an RSS feed encorporated and would allow as many other addons as you deemed necessary and, because a lot of features are built in natively, it would allow a smaller footprint comparitively to FF as you currently use it. Chrome is great for short runs, IE is for people who just don't want to install a browser because one's already there, but Flock is FF completed. There's a slow start time, but once it's up, it does everything you want it to and nothing you don't. The only times I've gotten an error message is when my wireless went down, but once my wireless came back, I automatically was connected back to every site and every service I was connected to before. Using Flock changes your mindset from "how fast can I do this with my browser so I can do the other 20 things I need to do" to "I wonder what I should do with all this extra time on my hands". Chrome is a short run if the page renders, Flock could almost do your work for you, at the very least, I have more tools available to me from first download, look up Flock 2.0 on youtube. The vids are old, the browser's out of beta now, but everything it could do in those vids, it does now, only it does more.

I so wanted to love Chrome, because I use Google in so much of my life. And I have high hopes. I remember how much their spreadsheet etc has changed from its early beta release. So I bet I wind up usinjg Chrome within a year. Right now though I had to go back to Firefox for it is set up with enough addons etc and the stability that make life easy for me.

But I'm not pulling the plug Chrome, just keep on adding improvements like you have done to all the other apps from your searches and gmail on to today.

[schmoogle]

wow. seriously?

google must love you guys.
i just hope you're getting paid to promote them.

[TibTV]

I like chrome and am using it primarily, but I run IE, Firefox and Chrome at the same time. This allows me to log into multiple google/gmail accounts, log into a particular service as admin, and use a different browser to view the published site. I can also use the browser that works best for a particular site.

[hernancrespo22]

Been using Google Chrome since its launch.. Experience has been great & I have been telling other persons about it. Does not crash like Internet Explorer, and remember your frequently used tabs when opening a new tab. It also allows you to delete old browsing history .. example for a day, quite easily. Great product... What tha hell is Opera ???? I've used safari once.. it was nice too..

[tm_anon]

The problem with your argument is in that it only deletes the history ON YOUR COMPUTER ONLY. Google remembers where you've been and what you did while you were there. The frequently used tabs thing, that's perfectly fine, but the rest of it is stuff that FF and Flock both can do without much set up. For example, everytime I close my browser, I have it set to delete cookies, history, passwords, everything that gets used when browsing the internet. I can also choose to leave the passwords and just delete the cookies, history and everything else or I could just delete the cookies, all just from closing my browser. Added bonus, nobody remembers where I went online except for me.

[Foggy]

I guess I'm one of the chosen few, I access the CNET morning news via my email program Netscape 7.2 and view it via Netscape Navigator browser 7.2. If I want to make comment like I an now I use Flock, I don't use crap like Chrome or FF or IE etc. No matter how you try you can get away from the best email program and browser still out there Netscape 7.2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Shankland]

One of the few indeed! In our October stats for CNET News readers, 0.08 percent used the Netscape browser, down from 0.1 percent in October.

[tm_anon]

Sounds like you haven't really tested Flocks capabilities. While checking CNET, you could also be checking your email, searching for youtube vids, getting notified of changes in your friends pages on Facebook or Myspace, being updated on Tweets, writing a blog response on your own site and posting it, uploading hundreds of photos from your computer for later posting on various sites and all while being on just this page. Netscape does what IE does, renders web pages. Flock does what FF could do if you downloaded tons of addons and it happens to do what Chrome can't do. Chrome is speed with a few bells and whistles, Flock is everything all at once. Oh yeah, it checks your email too while doing everything else. The only things it can't do for you have nothing to do with your computer.

[tm_anon]

So, what cmstratton is saying in a nutshell. "Google is for old computers." I've been using Flock for as long as Chrome has been out, on average, I see 1 webpage a month that won't load right off the bat, but when I refresh the page, there it is. It uses FF addons since it's built off the open source platform, but because of it's design, I haven't needed to add much to it at all. It's the opposite of Chrome, but when you look at what Chrome is, is that such a bad thing? All Chrome is built for is speed, all a race car is built for is speed. Neither is comfortable, neither is economical and neither one can continue to be used on a day to day basis. Flock starts slow, I'll give you that, but once it's up, you almost don't have to do anything. I start up my browser and the moment it's up, I've checked my email, checked all RSS feeds, checked facebook, myspace, twitter, youtube, add the meebo addon and you're logged into AIM, Yahoo, MSN or Googles new addition to the instant messengers and to top it off, I have mine set to job hunt through yahoo hotjobs automatically. It loads every page as well as FF does and in some instances, I've noticed it loads them better somehow. It lets me add an RSS feed as I go, write to my blog without going to the page, save a picture by dragging it from the web and dropping it into the built-in clipboard and upload as many photos as I have on my computer for any site I want to add them on and it does all of that without slowing my computer down as much as IE did almost every time I ever loaded it. I've used FF and it's good, but Flock is exactly what I've read about it. Flock is FF completed. Chrome may be a hot rod, but think about it. If you're transporting a hundred people a hundred miles, would you rather have a hot rod or a jet? The jet takes longer to get moving, but once it starts, it wins every time. Like I've said in every comment I've left, if all you're looking for is a single page rendering device with a couple bells and whistles to keep the geeks happy, go for Chrome, but if you want a way to set yourself free from the everyday menial tasks of checking your email, checking what all your friends are doing on facebook or myspace, seeing what new pictures have been added to photobucket, what your favorite blog is doing, even new stories on CNET or any other site with an RSS feed while still doing your job in a more productive way, give Flock a chance to blow your mind and remember, screw the load time, when it's up and running, it beats Chrome easily. Forget the single page load time and look at the productivity. You can do 10 processes to every 1 of Chromes and that's only if you're not using the browser to it's fullest potential. Oh, and the best part, it's already cross platform and it already has 98% of FF addons working with it including that nifty little feature called AdBlock. Give Flock a try, for business, for pleasure and ask yourself, if Chrome wasn't made by Google, would there be such a big buzz about it?

[n25philly]

I use chrome whenever I want my browsing experience to suck and when I'm in the mood for it to seem the the entire internet is broken.

Stop jerking off to a 5th rate browser and put some worthwhile articles up.

[ipollesion]

They are most likely only using it for testing, perhaps they don't use it all the time.

But, I still use firefox myself.. Chrome needs a lot more work.

But I do love google.

[meznor]

I'm a Flock user, but it's slow as hell... could be because I need to upgrade my hardware. I like using Chrome, but only in incognito mode. In fact, does anyone know how to set it up to load in incognito mode by default?

Also, one of the things that prevents me from setting Chrome as default browser is its lack of RSS support. Such a simple, but frustrating defect. That and I'd like my AdBlocker plug-in, thank you very much.

[forever4now]

I have yet to see anyone publish browser statistics for smartphones. With all the millions seemingly being sold these days, it would be interesting to see how the browsers stack up with them.

[opinionguy]

Good points

[opinionguy]

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[gm2gm]

Are you sure your tech guys gave you the right numbers or maybe they were playing a trick on you?

You report browser share as, "Microsoft Internet Explorer, with 40.7 percent, Firefox with 37.4 percent, and Safari with 18.2 percent, but beat out Opera, with 1.2 percent in October." That alone totals 97.5%. If Chrome has 3.6%, that would equal over 100%.

So what are the real figures?

[norcalrivercat]

I use a browser that I'm assuming no one else uses: Minefield. ha. Fastest browser alive (thank you mozilla)

[Gregg Pearson]

Based on the CNET new report, I downloaded and installed Google's Chrome. But it CRASHED to often and so regularly that I had to un-install it the same day.
As far as my experience with Chrome is concerned it stinks!

[bmgomes]

I can't really understand this!

As far as Firefox is concerned, it's just right, because it's a good browser, but I can't understand why there aren't any more people using Opera!