It’s a matter of personal taste—just make sure you’ve downloaded the latest version.

What’s Out There?

When you opened the e-mail that brought you here, chances are you didn’t give too much thought to the browser you’re using. In fact, most people use the browser native to their operating system, and are perfectly happy with their experience.

But it’s important to remember that most of you do have a choice—more specifically, there are 4 mainstream browsers that have gained traction in today’s market: Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, and Google Chrome.

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How Would I Choose?

The truth is, each of the browsers we’ve listed is a good choice. They’ve all streamlined their interface, they all strive to be compatible with most if not all Web sites, and they all offer the features with which you’re most comfortable (think: bookmarking).

There are 3 main differentiating criteria: Speed, Safety, and Sizzle.

A concise analysis might summarize it this way:

The fastest? Internet Explorer, with Mozilla Firefox second. But your average user may never experience a difference in performance between any of the browsers we’ve listed.

The safest? Again, Internet Explorer. But we can assume, with proper setup and user technique, that all of the latest browsers are reasonably safe.

The sizzle? Well, here’s where things get interesting.

What’s HTML5?

For the layman, HTML5 (Hypertext Markup Language; Version 5) is the main language used to structure and present content on the Web. It represents the first major revision to HTML coding in nearly 15 years. In short order, HTML5 will guide how you see and experience most Web content.

Every browser will have to accommodate advancements in content presentation due to the use of HTML5. And in this regard, not all browsers are created equal.

Over at HTML5test.com, they’ve created a ranking system that attempts to sort through the capability of each browser currently on the market.

Of the major players, Google Chrome is ranked far and away the most prepared to handle advancements in HTML5. Mozilla Firefox and Apple Safari are fairly comparable, and Internet Explorer 9 lags way behind. Internet Explorer 10 (available toward the end of the year) promises to close that gap.

But Google Chrome is still the real winner here.

What’s Everyone Else Doing?

Browser

Overall Share*

Graphic Details Share†

IE

50%

59%

Firefox

19%

20%

Chrome

17%

10%

Safari

9%

11%

Opera

5%

<1%

*According to NetMarketShare statistics for March 2012.

†For the period Jan-Dec 2011.

A brief glance at the browsing habits of Graphic Details panel members reveals parity in most part, with larger industry trends.

It’s reasonable to expect Internet Explorer to persist as the browser of choice among health care providers (HCPs) for one singular reason: many HCPs access Graphic Details programs within an institutional or group-practice setting, where Windows is the operating system of choice (85% by our last count) and Internet Explorer is mandated by local IT policy.

Let’s take a closer look at that Internet Explorer number. Of those 59%, almost all are using an outmoded version (Internet Explorer 8 or less). In fact, the number of users adopting an obsolete browser (Internet Explorer 6) nearly outpaces those using the most current version (Internet Explorer 9), 8% vs 12%, respectively. As HTML5 gains traction, these users will begin to endure a suboptimal browsing experience.

What Should I Do Next?

Our advice: if your local IT policy allows for it, try each and every browser, and settle on the performance, customization, and safety settings that are right for you.

But whatever browser you choose, ensure it’s the latest model. Your online experience is counting on it.

Where to update:

Internet Explorer: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/internet-explorer/products/ie/home

Mozilla Firefox: http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new/

Apple Safari: http://www.apple.com/safari/

Google Chrome: https://www.google.com/chrome

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