Chrome Topples Internet Explorer and Ditches Flash
At one time, Internet Explorer was the overwhelming browser of choice and was used by over 95% of all Windows. That was then and this is now.
According to Market Share, April 2016 was the first month ever when IE dropped from the number one spot. An April 2016 report by Market Share shows that Internet Explorer is now used by 41.33% of all users and Chrome is used by 41.71%. In a distant 3rd place Firefox is at 10.06%, Apple’s Safari is used by 4.47% and Opera+others are used by less than 2.5%.
Google is number one for the simple reason that, for most people, it’s the faster browser with the least amount of annoying error (like script errors) popups. Plus, as of now, Chrome builds Flash into its platform so it’s not an add-on like it is with IE, Firefox and others.
Speaking of Flash…Google is doing its best to kill off the buggy, vulnerable, oft exploited Adobe Flash and will replace it with HTML 5 which requires no plugins or add-ons. (We covered a little bit about HTML5 here.).
According to Google’s blog (as reported by MakeUseOf):
Google is planning to disable Adobe Flash by default in Chrome from later this year. Instead of Flash, HTML5 will become the default setting for all websites offering it. This is currently just a draft proposal, but Google has made it clear that “the tone and spirit should remain fairly consistent”.
If a user visits a website which requires Flash, they will, on the first visit, be given the option of allowing it to run. This setting will then honored on all subsequent visits to that site. The only exceptions being the Top 10 domains that still rely heavily on Flash, such as YouTube, Facebook, Yahoo, Amazon.com, and Twitch.tv. These will be whitelisted for one year…
We think it’s about time. Flash has been exploited by miscreants and criminals for years. It has been the conduit through which many Windows PCs were hacked or compromised. We’re glad that Google is taking a serious stand to bring down Adobe Flash, in a way that gives its Chrome browser users a choice to use Flash if a site requires it. HTML5 can do everything Flash can do, without plugins or extensions. Plus, it’s very unlikely that HTML5 will ever be exploited since HTML is the programming language with which all Web sites are built. HTML1, HTML2, HTML3, HTML4 all grew more powerful that the preceding version. HTML5 can do a lot of things a lot better than Flash and Java. This should make it more difficult for misanthropes, hackers and criminals to make life miserable for so many.
We’re glad to see that Google Chrome is planning to take these bold steps – and we’re glad to see it finally made it to number one. Even if you’re an Internet Explorer fan, you should be happy. Microsoft is not going to take this very well and maybe they’re actually listening and watching now – and maybe this will help make Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge better browsers.
We will have to wait and see.
Very good info. Thank you very much.
Very good information. Thank you so very much.
Interesting….
I’ll be even more happy when M’Soft sells SKYPE to a company that is capable of not only improving it but also making it reliable for both parties on a video call
Since M’soft have owned SKYPE they have made numerous so called ‘upgrades’ but it is less reliable and more buggy than before they stepped in
The question has to be asked – just what CAN M’soft do that actually works? – Consistently?
AND what use is their new chairman? He looks like he’s at death’s door!!
. t morrow
Wow, is Microsoft Edge still there. I did not know they were showing that much interest with it again. They must have pulled the landscaper back in on it. I will have to go down stairs and get on my other computer and blow the dust off that icon and try it again…smiles.
Maybe it is getting better now. I was so fed up with that browser and they did not look like they were in any hurry to fix it that I went to Google Chrome and I have not looked back. It looks like I have not been the only one. It could change later but Microsoft has to do better than that. I realize things take time but you don’t send something that looks like a beta out and expect people to stay with you.