Web Browsers Today

7/29/2019 Web Browsers Today

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Web Browsers Today

4 Major Industry Trends

"

A"White"Paper"by"Alex"Kilkka""


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Web Browsers Today

"

The"web"browser"industry"has"changed"dramatically"since"the"debut"of"Netscape"Navigator."Over"the"past"20"years,"browsers"have"evolved"from"a"simple"

application"that"retrieved"text"over"a"phone"line"to"the"central"piece"of"software"for"

our"InternetLconnected"world."""

"

Today"the"average"Windows"user"spends"50%"of"their"time"in"a"web"browser,"and"

rise"of"smartphones"and"tablets"will"only"increase"the"amount"of"time"consumers"

spend"online.i""With"such"a"modern"dependency"on"the"web"browser,"it"is"

important"to"understand"where"the"browser"industry""and"personal"computing"

itself""is"headed."

"

There"are"four"major"trends"happening"in"the"web"browser"space:"

"

1. Browser"becoming"an"operating"system,"2. Personalization,"3. Universal"content"compatibility,"4. Ubiquitous"access"

"

This"white"paper"will"examine"each"trend"in"detail"and"reveal"how"the"top"five"

players"by"market"share""Internet"Explorer,"Firefox,"Chrome,"Safari,"and"Opera"(see"Figure"1)""are"performing"in"this"space."

"

"

"


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Figure 1: Todays Competitive Landscape

"

"

"

"

"

"

$

$

$

$

Worldwide$browser$market$share$as$of$March$2012,$including$PC,$mobile,$and$tablet.ii$

"

Internet"Explorer\49%\

Firefox\19%\

Chrome\17%\

Safari\9%\

Opera\3%\

Other\3%\


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"4"

1. Browser becoming an operating system"

Advances"in"web"site"design,"enabled"by"highLspeed"Internet"connections,"have"

turned"the"web"browser"into"an"operating"system"(an"application"that"runs"other"

applications).""

A new generation of websites is born"

The"early"to"midL2000s"saw"the"emergence"of"Web"2.0,"a"new"generation"of"

websites"that"were"interactive"rather"than"static"pages.""Between"2003"and"2006,"

many"of"todays"biggest"sites"were"launched""including"Facebook,"YouTube,"

Flickr,"Gmail,"inkedIn,"Twitter"and"Google"Docs.""With"the"Web"2.0"revolution,"

consumers"were"no"longer"using"the"web"for"just"viewing"content;"they"were"

creating"and"sharing"content"as"well.""""

This"led"to"many"software"applications"moving"off"the"computer"and"onto"the"

web."Customers"switched"to"webLbased"applications"because"they"presented"many"

benefits"over"traditional"software:"They"were"universally"accessible,"safer"from"

data"loss,"infinitely"scalable,"always"upLtoLdate,"and"cheaper"too."Many"were"free,"

and"the"ones"that"were"not"typically"offered"a"monthly"subscription.""This"business"

model"became"known"as"Software"as"a"Service"(see"Figure"2)."

The web browser industry before Web 2.0"

Right"before"the"emergence"of"Web"2.0,"Microsofts"Internet"Explorer"has"about"

96%"market"share.""It"had"defeated"Netscape"in"the"browser"war"of"the"lateL1990s"

by"pushing"itself"as"the"default"web"browser"on"all"Windows"and"Apple"

computers.""Innovation"in"the"web"browser"industry,"which"had"been"rapid"in"the"

1990s,"came"to"a"standstill"under"Microsofts"monopoly.""After"launching"Internet"

Explorer"6"in"2001,"Microsoft"did"not"release"a"new"edition"for"5"years.iii""

"

A"major"antiLtrust"lawsuit"against"Microsoft"opened"the"way"for"new"players"to"

join"this"competitive"space."Mozillas"Firefox"launched"as"an"openLsource"

alternative"to"Internet"Explorer,"and"Apple,"struggling"to"reestablish"itself"in"the"

computing"industry,"launched"its"Safari"browser.""Neither"of"these"browsers"had"

managed"to"gain"significant"market"share"by"the"time"the"Web"2.0"revolution"

began."

"


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Figure 2: Software Moves Online

"

" Traditional*Software* Software*as*a*Service*

E3mail*

"

"

Photos*

"

"

Music*

" "

CRM*

" "Word*Processing*

" "$

Web>based$applications$(Software$as$a$Service)$are$beginning$to$replace$traditional$

software.$

"


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"6"

The web browser industry after Web 2.0"

Google,"the"worlds"largest"provider"of"Web"2.0"products,"found"the"current"crop"

of"web"browsers"unsatisfying.""These"browsers"were"clunky"and"not"powerful"

enough"to"run"the"types"of"applications"Google"had"envisioned"for"its"future.""So"in"

2008"Google"announced"the"launch"of"its"own"browser:"

"

We$realized$that$the$web$had$evolved$from$mainly$simple$text$pages$to$rich,$

interactive$applications$and$that$we$needed$to$completely$rethink$the$browser.$

What$we$really$needed$was$not$just$a$browser,$but$also$a$modern$platform$for$web$

pages$and$applications,$and$thatJs$what$we$set$out$to$build.$

$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ >Google$Blogiv$

"

Google"took"the"notion"of"web"browser"as"operating"system"to"heart"and"built"its"

browser"to"run"like"an"operating"system:""""

Chrome"had"each"tab"run"on"a"separate"process,"so"if"one"web"page"crashed,"it"did"not"bring"down"all"the"others."

Chrome"had"a"Task"Manager"where"you"could"see"and"control"what"was"running"in"Chrome."

Chrome"got"its"own"app"store"where"consumers"could"find"and"install"applications"that"run"specifically"in"Chrome."

"

This"was"revolutionary"for"a"web"browser"and"many"of"the"innovations"in"Chrome"were"rapidly"adopted"by"competing"browsers.""

Where it is going now"

The"web"browser"as"operating"system"trend"is"accelerating.""Google"recently"

released"its"own"line"of"laptops,"called"Chromebooks,"which"forgo"a"traditional"

operating"system"altogether"and"run"entirely"on"the"Chrome"browser.""This"is"the"

worlds"first"browserLonly"computer"(see"Figure"3).v"

"Microsoft"has"made"this"trend"the"centerpiece"of"its"Windows"8"development.""The"

new"Metro"interface"on"Windows"8"will"be"powered"by"Internet"Explorer,"as"will"

all"the"new"Metro"apps"written"in"HTM"and"JavaScript.vi""Developers"are"being"

encouraged"to"rewrite"their"old"software"to"run"on"the"Internet"Explorer"

framework"instead"of"the"old"Windows"base."

"


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Figure 3: Google Introduces the Browser-Only Laptop

"

"Google$launches$a$laptop$that$runs$solely$on$its$Chrome$web$browser.vii$

"

"

As"Google"and"Microsofts"actions"both"demonstrate,"the"traditional"operating"

system"and"the"web"browser"are"converging"to"provide"a"superior"platform"for"

running"consumers"favorite"applications."""

"

Technology companies, beware!"

It"is"critical"that"technology"industry"players"take"note"of"this"trend"and"prepare"

for"a"future"where"most"computing"happens"on"the"Internet,"rather"than"on"a"local"

device.""For"hardware"makers,"this"means"that"consumers"will"demand"better"

connectivity"and"need"less"storage"space"on"the"device.""For"software"makers,"this"

means"that"the"days"of"locally"run"software"are"numbered.""They"will"need"to"

make"the"transition"to"webLbased"software"or"risk"becoming"irrelevant"when"

computers"like"the"Chromebook"become"the"rule,"rather"than"the"exception."


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"8"

2. Personalization"

Another"major"trend"in"the"web"browser"industry"is"personalization.""Consumers"

can"now"customize"the"way"their"browsers"look"and"even"function."

"

Extensions and the rise of Firefox"

In"the"midL2000s,"Mozilla"Firefox,"born"out"of"the"ashes"of"Netscape,"used"

personalization"to"position"itself"as"the"better"alternative"to"Internet"Explorer.""It"

openLsourced"the"browser"code"so"that"developers"could"create"extensions,"

special"features"that"consumers"can"download"that"add"functionality"to"the"

browser."

"

The"most"popular"extension"on"Firefox"is"called"Adblock"Plus.""Once"installed,"this"extension"blocks"picture"and"text"advertisements"on"all"web"pages"that"the"

browser"displays.""Other"popular"extensions"let"you"extract"and"save"YouTube"

videos"or"access"your"favorite"social"media"feeds"from"right"inside"the"browser."

"

Firefox"also"introduced"skins"so"users"can"change"the"look"and"feel"of"the"

browser"to"suit"their"tastes"(see"Figure"4).""As"one"excited"reviewer"in"2005"put"it:"

"

We$love$how$we$can$customize$the$skin$for$each$of$us.$Our$daughterJs$is$NPimped$

Out,N$our$sonJs$is$NScribblies$for$KidsN$and$ours$changes$weekly.$

>Donna$Palmerviii$

"

While"all"of"the"other"major"browsers"have"since"added"their"own"extensions"and"

skins,"the"breadth"of"Firefoxs"selection"continues"to"give"it"a"competitive"

advantage"for"those"who"value"personalization"in"a"web"browser."

"

Profiles that follow you"

Another"innovation"is"the"creation"of"specific"user"profiles.""The"Safari"browser"is"tied"to"users"Apple"ID,"so"the"bookmarks"you"set"in"Safari"on"your"iPhone"are"

automatically"synchronized"with"the"bookmarks"in"Safari"on"your"laptop"or"iPad."

"

Google"takes"the"personalization"notion"even"further.""Users"can"sign"into"Chrome"

with"their"Google"login,"which"will"synchronize"bookmarks"and"extensions,"give"


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users"automatic"access"to"Google"apps"like"Gmail,"and"even"tailor"their"search"box"

results"based"on"previous"viewing"history."

$

$

Figure 4: Firefox Personalizes the Web Browsing Experience

$

$$$

The$Yosemite$skin$for$the$Firefox$browser.ix$

"

"

Browser makers, beware!"

As"the"basic"features"of"web"browsers"(like"speed"and"stability)"become"commoditized,"personalization"is"a"key"way"web"browsers"can"create"stickiness."

After"all,"if"your"browser"is"set"up"just"the"way"you"like"it,"you"will"be"less"likely"to"

switch"when"a"competitor"introduces"a"slightly"improved"product.""Web"browser"

players"would"be"wise"to"invest"heavily"in"the"personalization"trend"to"lock"in"

their"customer"base.""* "


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3. Universal content compatibility"

Another"major"trend"in"the"web"browser"industry"is"that"more"than"ever,"web"

content"is"becoming"crossLbrowser"compatible.""That"means"you"can"switch"to"a"

different"browser"and"see"the"same"website,"without"errors"or"missing"features.""

The creation of HTML and the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)"

In"1989,"Tim"BernersLee"invented"the"World"Wide"Web,"which"was"meant"to"be"a"

standard"platform"for"sharing"information"across"the"Internet.x""He"wrote"the"first"

web"browser"and"the"first"version"of"the"HyperText"Markup"anguage"(HTM),"

the"basic"publishing"format"that"web"browsers"interpret"and"display"on"the"screen.""

"

In"October"1994,"Tim"BernersLee"founded"the"World"Wide"Web"Consortium"(W3C)"in"collaboration"with"M.I.T."and"CERN,"the"research"lab"where"the"Web"

originated.""Its"purpose"was"to"bring"together"experts"and"stakeholders"from"

across"the"globe"to"develop"and"advance"universal"standards"for"the"web.""Today"

the"W3C"is"the"primary"governing"body"of"the"Internet."

"

The first browser war fragmented the Internet"

Netscape"Navigator"launched"in"1994"as"the"most"advanced"browser"in"the"world.""

It"was"an"instant"success,"becoming"the"market"leader"while"still"in"beta.xi""Netscape"made"money"by"charging"for"commercial"use"of"the"product"while"

letting"consumers"use"it"for"free."""

"

When"Microsoft"launched"Internet"Explorer,"it"undercut"Netscape"by"making"the"

product"free"for"both"commercial"and"consumer"use.""Internet"Explorer"was"not"as"

sophisticated"as"Netscape,"but"came"closer"to"catching"up"with"each"subsequent"

version"and"rapidly"gained"market"share"(see"Figure"5).""

"

In"the"ensuing"war"between"the"browsers,"Internet"Explorer"(and"Netscape"to"a"lessor"degree)"tried"to"innovate"by"unilaterally"adding"features"to"HTM.""Internet"

Explorer"added"the""tag,"for"example,"where"website"text"would"blink"if"

opened"in"Internet"Explorer"but"would"do"nothing"if"opened"in"Netscape."""

"

"


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Figure 5: Netscape and Internet Explorer Wrestle for Control

"Browser$market$share$and$key$events$during$the$first$browser$war.xii$

"

"

The"two"companies"defied"W3C"standards,"and"as"a"result"this"led"to"the"

development"of"two"distinct"versions"of"the"web""the"Internet"Explorer"version"

and"the"Netscape"version.""In"the"late"1990s"it"was"common"for"a"website"to"declare"

Best"Viewed"With"Internet"Explorer"or"Best"Viewed"With"Netscape"(see"

Figure"6)."

The minor browsers unite around standards"

After"Internet"Explorer"won"the"first"browser"war"and"dominated"the"web"browser"

industry,"it"became"unrealistic"for"minor"competitors"like"Mozilla"or"Safari"to"push"


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their"own"version"of"HTM.""If"a"browser"had"less"than"5%"market"share,"why"

would"a"web"developer"take"the"time"to"make"sure"their"website"was"compatible?""

As"a"result,"all"of"the"major"new"entrants"adhered"strictly"to"the"W3C"standards"

and"even"competed"amongst"themselves"on"who"was"most"compliant."

"

This"again"resulted"in"two"semiLcompatible"webs""the"Internet"Explorer"version"

and"the"standards"compliant"version"(made"up"of"Mozilla,"Chrome,"Safari"and"

Opera)."""

"

Figure 6: Whose Side Are You On?

"

""

"

Website$compatibility$notices$from$the$1990s.xiii$xiv$

"

With rise of smartphones, Internet Explorer finally joins standards"

Microsofts"dominant"position"in"personal"computing"had"allowed"it"to"throw"its"

weight"around"and"make"unilateral"decisions"on"HTM,"but"with"the"rise"of"

smartphones,"that"era"was"over."

"

While"Microsoft"today"still"has"over"90%"market"share"in"desktops,xv"it"has"less"

than"5%"market"share"in"smartphones.xvi"This"does"not"bode"well"for"Microsofts"

Internet"Explorer,"since"a"report"by"Morgan"Stanley"predicts"that"there"will"be"

more"mobile"Internet"users"than"desktop"users"within"5"years"(see"Figure"7)."

"

With"mobile"computing"undermining"Internet"Explorers"monopoly"power,"

Microsoft"announced"that"its"next"version"of"Internet"Explorer,"due"out"in"2012,"

will"be"its"first"one"to"be"completely"compliant"with"the"W3C"standards.""For"the"

first"time"in"the"history"of"the"Web,"all"the"major"players"will"be"displaying"

websites"the"same"way."""


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Figure 7: Mobile Users Will Rule the Web

"

""

Mobile$Internet$users$will$overtake$desktop$Internet$users$within$5$years.$xvii$

""

This"will"undoubtedly"have"a"positive"impact"on"customers"who"want"to"be"able"to"

consume"content"on"their"browser"of"choice,"and"have"a"positive"impact"on"

website"developers"who"no"longer"have"to"expend"extra"time"and"money"on"

making"their"websites"crossLbrowser"compatible.""

"

Computing giants, beware!"

For"industry"players,"consumers"will"soon"demand"a"browser"that"renders"content"like"all"their"other"browsers.""Full"HTM"compliance"will"no"longer"be"a"nice"

feature"but"a"competitive"necessity.""Industry"players,"even"computing"giants"like"

Microsoft,"Apple,"and"Google,"will"be"expected"to"work"collaboratively"with"the"

W3C"to"develop"new"web"standards,"rather"than"try"to"implement"them"

unilaterally.""Gone"are"the"days"of"one"company"meddling"with"the"Web"and"

getting"away"with"it."


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4. Ubiquitous access"

The"final"trend"in"the"web"browser"industry"is"ubiquity""web"browsers"being"built"

into"a"range"of"devices"beyond"the"personal"computer."""Now"it"is"possible"to"have"

Internet"access"on"your"phone,"your"television,"your"gaming"console,"and"more.""

Traditional players build for the next generation of internet-connected

devices

"

In"addition"to"the"personal"computer,"all"five"major"web"browsers"run"on"other"

devices.""The"companies"that"create"mobile"operating"systems"(Microsofts"

Windows"Phone,"Apples"iOS,"Googles"Android)"each"have"a"mobile/tablet"

version"of"their"respective"web"browser.""Firefox"is"currently"developing"its"own"

mobile"operating"system.""Google"has"also"ported"its"web"browser"to"internetLconnected"television"boxes"(see"Figure"8).""""

"

"

Figure 8: The Web Browser Meets the Television

"

""

Advertisement$showing$GoogleTV$running$the$Chrome$browserxviii$

Manufacturers enter the web browser space"

While"the"traditional"player"Opera"makes"revenue"from"building"browsers"for"

devices"like"the"Nintendo"Wii,"more"and"more"manufacturers"are"developing"their"

own"deviceLspecific"web"browsers."

"


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" 15"

Sony"developed"its"own"browser"for"the"PlayStation"3"called"the"PS3"Internet"

Browser,"and"Amazon"developed"a"new"browser"called"Silk"for"its"Kindle"Fire"

tablet"(see"Figure"9)."

"

"

Figure 9: Meet Amazons Brand New Browser

"Amazon$introduces$the$Silk$browser$for$Kindle$Firexix$

"

"

While"these"new"web"browsers"have"yet"to"gain"significant"market"share"(and"have"

had"generally"poor"reviews),"the"trend"of"ubiquitous"Internet"access"across"devices"

is"clear."""This"trend"should"benefit"consumers"by"providing"more"convenient"

access"to"information"and"multiLmedia"content."

"

Web designers, beware!"

This"trend"is"especially"important"for"web"designers"to"take"note"of"because"they"

will"soon"be"faced"with"traffic"from"a"multitude"of"devices"with"different"screen"

resolutions"and"input"devices.""Navigating"a"website"on"the"Wii"is"quite"different"

from"the"iPhone,"but"consumers"will"expect"both"to"provide"a"satisfactory"

experience.""The"next"decade"will"likely"see"the"wide"adoption"of"modular"web"

design,"where"content"is"dynamically"rearranged"and"resized"depending"on"the"

viewing"resolution."


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"16"

Conclusion"

Todays"fierce"competition"in"the"web"browser"industry"pushes"innovation"

forward"and"is"ultimately"good"for"the"consumer."""

"As"we"have"seen,"there"are"four"major"trends"playing"out"right"now:"

"

1. Browser"becoming"an"operating"system,"2. Personalization,"3. Universal"content"compatibility,"4. Ubiquitous"access"

"

In"an"industry"where"each"innovation"is"rapidly"copied"by"the"competition,"what"

consumers"can"expect"in"the"future"are"web"browsers"that"are"continuously"

improved"but"are"largely"indistinguishable"from"one"another.""With"plenty"of"

competition"and"nearly"zero"switching"costs"for"consumers,"the"outlook"is"

favorable"for"customerLfriendly"innovation."

"

Industry"players"would"be"wise"to"adapt"to"and"capitalize"on"these"trends.""While"

the"web"browser"itself"might"be"becoming"a"commodity,"the"exciting"new"era"of"

Internet"computing"is"just"getting"started."

"

"

" "


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"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" """"""""i"Anthony,"S."(2012,"February)."Microsoft$creates$mini$internet$to$reliably$test$and$improve$Internet$$

Explorer."Retrieved"April"13,"2012,"from"ExtremeTech:"http://www.extremetech.com/extrem"

e/118549LmicrosoftLcreatesLminiLinternetLtoLreliablyLtestLandLimproveLinternetLexplorer"ii"Bright,"P."(2012,"April)."Internet$Explorer$market$share$surges,$as$IE$9$wins$hears$and$minds.""

Retrieved"April"13,"2012,"from"Ars"Technica:"http://arstechnica.com/business/news/2012/"

04/internetLexplorerLmarketLshareLsurgesLasLversionL9LwinsLheartsLandLminds.ars"iii"Microsoft."(n."d.)."A$history$of$Internet$Explorer."Retrieved"April"13,"2012,"from"Microsoft.com:"""

http://windows.microsoft.com/enLus/internetLexplorer/products/history"iv"McCloud,"S."(n."d.)."Google$Chrome."Retrieved"April"13,"2012,"from"Google.com:""

http://www.google.com/googlebooks/chrome/small_02.html"v"Pichai,"S."(2009,"July)."Introducing$the$Google$Chrome$OS."Retrieved"April"13,"2012,"from"BlogSpot:""

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/introducingLgoogleLchromeLos.html"vi"Anthony,"S."(2011,"June)."Internet$Explorer$10$to$Power$Windows$8$and$Cross>Platform$Apps.""

Retrieved"April"13,"2012,"from"ExtremeTech:"http://www.extremetech.com/computing/"

84196LinternetLexplorerL10LtoLpowerLwindowsL8LandLcrossplatformLapps"vii"Forrester."(n."d.)."Retrieved"April"13,"2012,"from"Forrester"Blogs:""

http://blogs.forrester.com/f/b/users/gcolony/googleLchromebook.jpg"viii"Palmer,"D."(2005,"April)." left$IE$6/04$for$firefox;$spyware$and$hikjack$bit$me$too$hard.""

Retrieved"April"13,"2012,"from"CNET"Reviews:""

http://reviews.cnet.com/browsers/mozillaLfirefox/4505L3514_7L31117280.html"ix"JackRebel."(2009,"August)."Retrieved"April"13,"2012,"from"JackRebel.com:"http://www.jackrebel""

.com/wpLcontent/uploads/2009/08/Firefox_Persona_Yosemite_diamond.jpg"x"World"Wide"Web"Consortium."(n."d.)."Facts$About$W3C."Retrieved"April"13,"2012,"from"W3.org:""

http://www.w3.org/Consortium/facts#history"xi"Wikipedia."(n."d.)."etscape."Retrieved"April"13,"2012:"""

http://wikipedia.org/wiki/Netscape#Netscape_Navigator_.28versions_0.9.E2.80.934.08.29"xii"Wired."(n."d.)."Browser$Wars."Retrieved"April"13,"2012,"from"Wired:""

http://www.wired.com/images/article/magazine/1610/mf_chrome_browser_"wars_975.jpg"xiii"Technologizer."(n."d.)."Best$Viewed$With$Internet$Explorer."Retrieved"April"13,"2012:""

https://reader009.{domain}/reader009/html5/0410/5acceba228a5e/5acceba9e3734.jpg"xiv"Tripod."(n."d.)."Best$Viewed$With$etscape."Retrieved"April"13,"2012,"from"Tripod:""

http://jeanneann.tripod.com/1.gif"xv"Epstein,"Z."(2011,"November)."Windows$market$share$slides."Retrieved"April"13,"2012,"from"BGR:"

http://bgr.com/2011/11/02/windowsLmarketLshareLslidesLinLoctoberLasLmacLlinuxLgain/"xvi"utz,"Z."(2012,"February)."Android$and$iOS$gallop$ahead."Retrieved"April"13,"2012:""

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A White PaperA"White"Paper"by"Alex"Kilkka"

Web Browsers Today

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