Safari slips behind Chrome in browser usage
updated 01:15 pm EST, Tue December 15, 2009
Figures linked to Mac, Linux Chrome betas
Usage of Google's Chrome web browser surpassed that of Apple's Safari for the first time last week, says tracking firm Net Applications. The company monitors roughly 160 million visitors to 40,000 sites, and notes that Chrome users represented 4.4 percent of the market between December 6th and the 12th. The figure was a growth of 0.4 percent over the month of November, and beat out Safari's 4.37 percent share.
"It appears that Chrome has made a substantial surge in usage market share," says Net Applications' executive VP, Vince Vizzacaro. The jump is attributed mainly to the release of Chrome betas for Mac and Linux, as opposed to just developer channel software. Growth is said to be even more pronounced when narrowing the focus to Mac OS X, as Chrome now accounts for 1.3 percent of usage on the platform, in contrast to the 0.32 percent achieved in November. Mac share is believed to have been taken "fairly equally" from Safari and Firefox.
The dominant platform for Chrome remains Windows, as its betas have been available since September 2008, and it is the only platform to have an official release. Mac parity is not expected until sometime in 2010.
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Joined: Jul 2002
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Ever since Chrome was launched, it seemed like only a matter of time before Chrome overtook Safari. It seems a mindshare thing - I hardly know anyone on Windows who uses Safari, even among the Mac fraternity.
But same difference anyway... Chrome is Webkit, so Safari benefits as sites ensure they work well with Chrome.