The Internet has revolutionized learning and studying for students the world over.  It has quickly come both one of the most powerful tools and greatest detriments for high schoolers. While the content that can be accessed on the Internet is the same for everyone, there are several different ways that it can be accessed.  The applications used to show websites are called Internet browsers, and there’s more than a few different kinds.  While some believe that the type of browser used makes an insignificant difference, closer inspection reveals that one specific browser is far superior to the others in various categories.  Google Chrome is the fastest and by far the most customizable of the prominent Internet browsers. 

The other browsers that are most widely used today are Internet Explorer, Safari, Firefox, and Opera.  While all of these do possess some benefits, each of them is not able to compete with Google Chrome on every level.  Safari and Internet Explorer both come with Macintosh and Windows installations respectively.  They are generally reliable and have limited customizability, but often fall short in speed and they can be a drain on system resources.

Firefox and Opera are browsers that can be downloaded for free.  Firefox sprang out of Mozilla in 2004 and received much praise for its high level of third party support and customizability. However, the support for Google Chrome has grown more in its short two years of existence than it had in four years for Firefox.  Opera, on the other hand, has been around for a long time.  The first version, Opera 2.0, was released all the way back in 1996.  This browser is noted for its speed and is so “small” that it can run effectively on old computers and mobile devices.  Unfortunately, outside of Opera applications, it has next to no customizability and a small support community.

Google Chrome first appeared in the latter half of 2008, and it is currently the fastest growing browser.  It competes and in some cases beats Firefox with its level of tools for customization available.  However, it manages to stay light on resources like the Opera Browser.  It has unrivaled speed and has risen so quickly that websites are working as quickly as possible to provide support for it.  Google Chrome is also open source, and it has risen over 19% in usage percentage in the first two years that is has been around, a feat that has not been matched by any other browser before it. This increase in usage has also increased third party support for the browser.  Developers worldwide are able to create extensions that are able to improve the Internet surfing experience for the user as well as themes that change the look and feel of Google Chrome.  It is amazing that this browser can be modified and added to and still run faster than any other.

It is clear that the browser used does in fact make a difference. Google Chrome takes the positive qualities of past browsers and combines them all to create an optimal Internet surfing experience.  With recent successes on phones and the innovative new Google TV, one can only imagine what market Google will get its hands on next.  If the company’s history is any indicator, the next product that Google releases will almost definitely be the best of its kind.