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Browser Use On Mobile Devices Exceeds PC Browsing Worldwide: StatCounter (cnet.com)
Google is only expected to push the mobile web further now that there are 2 billion active Chrome installs. At the Chrome Dev Summit, Google's vice president of Chrome engineering and the conference's opening speaker said, "We have over 2 billion Chrome instances that are active," which makes Chrome a platform with immense power. The company is expected to reveal how the platform's unbeatable reach earns Chrome and browsers in general a place on the big stage. CNET reports: That power is essential to making Google's vision a reality. If it succeeds, that browser icon might be the one you reach for on your home screen a lot more often. Success on that front also could help restore the fortunes of the web, the closest the computing industry has come to freeing us from software that works only on one device or another, like a Windows laptop but not an iPhone. In an era when tech giants wield tremendous power, the web levels the playing field and makes it easier for new competitors to join the game. It's no wonder Google is pushing the mobile web. This month, browser usage on tablets and phones for the first time surpassed usage on PCs, analytics firm StatCounter said. In October, global mobile and tablet browsing accounted for 51.3% compared to the desktop's 48.7%. However, in other parts of the world the desktop is still king. For example, in the UK the desktop accounts for 55.6% of browsing, 58% in the U.S. and 55.1% in Australia. StatCounter CEO Aodhan Cullen said: "This should be a wake up call especially for small businesses, sole traders and professionals to make sure that their websites are mobile friendly. Many older websites are not. Mobile compatibility is increasingly important not just because of growing traffic but because Google favors mobile-friendly websites for its mobile search results."
But how many mobile devices are actually doing something useful on the web? I end up going to a PC if I'm going to purchase stuff off of Amazon for example. I may occasionally read some news through my phone, but I try not too because of the small font. Tablets? If every website didn't switch to a damn mobile phone style format on a 10-12" tablet, I might find it useful. I have to click a button to "Request the desktop version". I don't think they're replacing desktop PC's yet, for now, they just compliment my PC when I don't want to lug around my laptop.
And then we have all the bots on android devices, not even google knows how many there are.
Desktops versions are far more information dense. Meaning they're faster to use while giving you more information. I've got no problem zooming in to a specific point or reading tiny text. Give me the desktop version any day every day. And please, stop with the custom, site-specific image viewers. By browser can display an image better than whatever image viewer your site develops. Please stop trying to be fancy and different. Hell, even Chrome changed from the hamburger icon to three dots and those dots completely disappear if an extension has an error, so it's no longer possible to easily give someone tech support over the phone or email since UIs are now dynamic. Modern UIs are killing productivity and automatic muscle memory. Please stop.