The often long-drawn and perpetual browser war came to a surprising conclusion this week. According to data compiled by Stat Counter, none other than Google (News - Alert) Chrome finally dethroned the almighty Internet Explorer from its position as the most popular browser. This isn’t the first time Google Chrome enjoyed such status, during the month of March it toppled Internet Explorer from its top position for a single day.

Google Chrome has been inching towards the top position for a while now, but if finally surpassed Internet Explorer last week. While it is not set in stone that the balance of power has been shifted in favor of the Chrome permanently, it does look that way. Interestingly, other popular browsers like Firefox, Safari and Opera came third, fourth and fifth respectively.

According to Stat Counter, Chrome’s share of the market rose to 32.8 percent in the week ending May 20th, and archrival, Internet Explorer share of the market dropped to 31.9 percent. This is a clear indication of the rising popularity of Chrome. The data also mentioned Mozilla's (News - Alert) Firefox, which came at third with more than a 25 percent of the market. According to data compiled by Stat Counter, Chrome enjoys maximum popularity in the continents of Asia and South America; where as Internet Explorer is the browser of choice in North America.

One of the main reasons Internet Explorer is popular is because it comes pre-installed on Windows computers, making it the default browser for the less tech savvy user. However, those in loop with the latest technologies and software’s prefer third-party browsers like Chrome and Firefox, as they offer added functionality and deliver a more intuitive browsing experience. But, one must also take in consideration that this is the data compiled by one analytical firm and should not be taken as the end-all of usage reports. Not, that we are denying the popularity of Google Chrome in recent months.