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Data: Chrome Nipping At Firefox's Heels

Christmas could come early (or right on time) for Google's Chrome division. According to StatCounter, Google's browser will pass Firefox to take the No. 2 spot -- behind Microsoft's Internet Explorer -- no later than December. As of Wednesday, Chrome's global average user share for September was 23.6%, while Firefox's stood at 26.8%, reports the Irish Web statistics firm. IE, still with a comfortable lead, was at 41.7%.

"The climb of Chrome during 2011 has been astonishing," remarks Computerworld. "It has gained eight percentage point since January 2011, representing a 50% increase." During that same timeframe, Firefox has dropped almost four percentage points -- a decline of about 13% -- while IE has also fallen four points -- a 9% decline.

In other words, rather than the proverbial pie getting bigger, "Chrome is essentially reaping all the defections from Firefox and IE." As Computerworld notes, however, disparate data paints a different picture of Chrome's current market position. Net Applications, for one, reported that Firefox had a 22.6% share of desktop browser usage in August, compared to Chrome's 15.5%.

Read the whole story at Computerworld »

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