With today’s developing technology, it is quite evident that users are aware that there are many choices when it comes to seeing which browser can best display their Facebook feed. While a small portion of the typical computer user base uses the more traditional Internet Explorer, most users are aware that there are other alternatives when it comes to web browsing. Most Apple users use the company’s own browser, Safari. Another portion also uses the Firefox browser, which is created by Mozilla. However, the most popular desktop browser is the Google-created Google Chrome. If you ask around, many people can vouch for why they use Google Chrome instead of any other alternative. Most proclaim that it is “simply just fast.” Others tell more about the smaller features that make up Chrome, such as advanced sandboxing, a feature which allows Chrome to keep your computer secure, an extensive collection of widgets, and a nice minimalist design. Will these proclamations reign true?
As said earlier, one of the claims that Chrome enthusiasts tout is that it is much faster than the competitors’ products. Unsurprisingly, critics of Google Chrome say the browser is not much faster than other products. Who is right?
In my benchmark tests, I used Internet Explorer 10.0.8400.0 and Google Chrome 22.0.1229.79. I decided to run the Acid3 Test, which tests to see if the browser is compliant with various web elements. I noticed that the animation looked a lot smoother on Google Chrome and finished significantly faster than Internet Explorer. It is worth noting that both browsers completed the test with a score of 100%.
Next, I ran SunSpider 0.9.1, a JavaScript benchmarking system. In the end, Google Chrome finished first, despite being started last. When the results were shown, Google Chrome won in all but one field. While Google Chrome finished with a score in the high 1000 milliseconds, Internet Explorer finished with a score in the mid-2000 milliseconds. It can be concluded that Google Chrome is faster in standard benchmark tests.
However, speed isn’t all there is to a browser. Rendering web pages is another one of Internet Explorer’s shortcomings. Many developers have complained that developing for Internet Explorer alone takes up almost 30% of their time. Using both web browsers for a weekend, I have noticed that the claims that Internet Explorer renders webpages wrong are greatly exaggerated. All webpages were rendered perfectly in all instances. However, there was one exception. A specific website has advertisements overlapping the whole screen. When refreshed, Internet Explorer crashed. When I tried to use Google Chrome, it rendered the page perfectly and fluidly. Despite this, many people won’t notice rendering issues when browsing the web.
As time goes on, Internet Explorer will no doubt improve and become better. However, it is extremely likely that when Internet Explorer finally catches up, other browsers will become better and faster. Personally, I believe that Internet Explorer can eventually become a good solution for consumers to use, if and only if Microsoft pours more time, money, and resources to develop Internet Explorer to its full potential.
