The recent release of Google’s Chrome browser got me thinking about what browsers are truly important, what browsers will be gaining importance, and what browsers should be put to rest. In this two part series, I will discuss some interesting trends that have been occurring lately on the browser scene.
Mobile browsing is gaining attention
According to Market Share, on August 23rd, 2008 the percentage of web hits for the iPhone hit .48%. That does not seem like much, but when you think that 1 out of every 333 web site visits took place on an iPhone, it puts it a little more into perspective. That doesn’t mean you have to run out right now and optimize your site for the iPhone, but it is something to keep in the back of your mind as more and more iPhone 3G’s are sold. If you are interested in optimizing your site for the iPhone, here is a good resource. There are also many other resources available to help you code for the 320 x 480 screen.
Another device that is gaining popularity is the Netbook. Many companies are scrambling to produce small, cheap, portable computers like the Eee, made popular by Asus. Since these are wifi-enabled and many also have network ports, surfing the web on them is becoming more popular. This is evidenced by the jump in Linux OS browser usage from 0.64% in January 2008 to 0.93% in September 2008. This increase could be attributed to a mixture of new Linux converts and Netbook usage, but I believe the primary reason for such a jump is Netbook’s gain of popularity. The first Eee’s 7” wide screen’s resolution was at 800 x 480. More recent Netbook’s have higher resolution closer to what we are accustomed to on notebook computers.
Overall, the mobile browser market is growing. It is still small compared to its desktop counterpart, but I believe it is an increasing market that is deserving of attention in the near future.
Posted on
Fri, October 3, 2008
by Chad Jaggers