Well, we can’t really predict the popularity of specific browsers in the desktop market with any degree of certainty. However, we can take a look at metrics on current market share and reach some meaningful conclusions based upon trends over time.  Without further ado, here is a quick summary of just that…

Current Market Share

The most popular desktop browser in the U.S. is IE, with ~53% of the market share, followed by Firefox, at ~21%, and Chrome, at ~19%.

The Trend

Analyzing the trend in market share over the last 12 month period (February 2011 – February 2012) is where things get interesting (or worrisome, depending upon who’s camp you are in). IE’s desktop market share has decreased from ~59% to ~53% over the period while Chrome’s has increased from ~11% to ~19% over the same period. Firefox’s share decreased slightly from ~23% to ~21%.

Key Takeaway

While IE currently has the lion’s share of the U.S. market, it is losing market share (6% for the year) while Chrome is increasing in popularity (8% for the year), a key long-term indication that Chrome is on the right track.

In Part II of this post, I will do a high-level feature comparison of the most popular versions of each browser (IE and Chrome) and will take a closer look at what may be behind these numbers. Until then, thanks for reading!

References:

NetMarketShare