The great browser sync, the war continues

I commented yesterday on my opinion of the browser and browser sync, and then today Pingdom posted a series of graphics showing the results of their findings.

I am not surprised that Chrome is doing so well around the world. I stated my biggest reason for using it yesterday. It may be safe to say that because of features like browser sync, plugins, etc. others feel that even though Internet Explorer is a part of Windows, people still go to Chrome (Firefox and Safari as well, though not as much).

Late last night I realized another reason I like Chrome: It plays videos on Hulu without fail. When I use Firefox and IE, it sometimes gets errors. **Sometimes it happens but it is FAR less than with FF and IE.

Let’s hope the Chrome browser is the Rebel Alliance and IE is the Empire. #browserwars

The great browser sync

Or… why it might just be the best thing ever. (Or nearly that.)

Since Google Chrome began, it has been relatively slim compared to its competitors. I was always a Firefox user until recently. I use Firefox still for certain things, which may never change. When Chrome came along, I tested its beta and then used it for a couple months before putting it aside.

Several releases back Google included a sync of bookmarks and open tabs. A feature much like what Apple did with Safari and iCloud. iCloud has some niceness to it, however after being a user of both browsers and using multiple operating systems I have to crown the winner of best cross-platform browser sync to Chrome.

Once Chrome was able to be loaded on the iPhone and iPad I was able to have my bookmarks shared across four computers, two tablets, and two cell phones. It has been a wonderful convenience to have a browser window open at work, open the browser on my home computer and be able to view what I was reading at work practically right where I left off. Also comes in handy if you are killing time waiting for a doctor or other appointment. (Assuming, of course, you were reading something intriguing when you left your computer and didn’t mind a small screen.)

All of this is not being said because I am fond of Google’s products. I have recently become perturbed by the impending demise of Google Reader. It is being said because they got the browser sync right, and because unlike iCloud, it is cross-platform.

*** All of this aside, this was written without considering any social bookmark sites. They have convenient features, but they aren’t always simple for most non-web savvy among us. They require more steps as well.

What are the top five websites you’d hate to live without?

Google – http://www.google.com/ – and its family of sites – search engine, RSS reader, calendar, document functionality.
Evernote – http://www.evernote.com/ – freemium goodness abounds in this one. Blog post writing book, note taker, bookmark holder, task list system, rant organizer and so many more possibilities.
Dropbox – http://www.dropbox.com/ – despite some bad press in 2011, it remains a simple and easy way to transfer files from the phone, tablet, and computer while being able to get the files even if I don’t have one of my devices.
WordPress – https://wordpress.com/ – big blog and website system, unfortunately just about everyone seems to think they know everything about it.
Posterous – https://posterous.com/ – simple posting to your blog or gallery (or what you set up).

And bonus: Fuelly.com – http://www.fuelly.com/ – charts, graphs, notes on where, when, how much, it’s also competitive. It shows other people who have the same model car and what their averages are, this can make you wonder how they are getting better mileage than you.