Chrome crowned top Internet browser by market tracker

Google Chrome on Monday was crowned the top Internet browser, officially ending the long reign of Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE).

NetMarketShare calculated the Chrome had 41.7 percent of desktop browser share in April, narrowly topping the 41.4 share for IE. Mozilla's Firefox browser was third with 9.7 percent, according to the market tracker.

A second market tracker, StatCounter, had given the title to Chrome four years ago and gave Google's software for browsing the Internet an even bigger lead over IE in April.

A graph posted online at netmarketshare.com showed a Chrome use trend line rising while a line for IE sloped downward.

When it came to using browser software to access the internet from mobile devices, Chrome commanded slightly more than 49 percent of the market, according to NetMarketShare.

The results came as Google faces regulatory scrutiny, particularly in Europe, over its dominant position in Internet lifestyles and as Microsoft was pursuing a shift to business and cloud computing services.

Microsoft fielded new Edge browser software synched to its latest-generation Windows 10 operating system and incorporating its Cortana virtual assistant capabilities to win users.

Microsoft last month reported a 25 percent plunge in quarterly profits as the company navigated away from its role as a software seller to a services model.

© 2016 AFP