浏览器大战硝烟再起

    漫长、冷酷的网络浏览器烽火重燃。

    网络分析公司StatCounter近期的统计数据显示，微软公司（Microsoft）的IE浏览器可能将失去市场霸主的地位。StatCounter的统计数据以页面浏览量为基础，统计结果显示，今年5月，谷歌（Google）Chrome浏览器的市场份额已经达到了32.4%，登上了市场榜首的位置，而IE的市场份额则下降到32.1%。前五大浏览器中，另外三家分别为摩斯拉公司（Mozilla）的火狐浏览器（Firefox，25.6%）、苹果公司（Apple）的Safari浏览器（7%），以及Opera浏览器（1.8%）。

    StatCounter从2008年开始跟踪浏览器市场数据，今年5月，IE浏览器首次失去市场领先地位。但鉴于IE浏览器的市场份额一直在持续下降，因此这种变化并不意外：自去年5月份起，IE浏览器的市场份额减少了约11%。当然，其他网络分析公司对这一数字仍存在质疑，Net Applications公司便是其中之一。该公司根据独立访问量跟踪浏览器市场份额，并将各地域的不同使用情况考虑在内。根据该公司的统计，Chrome浏览器的市场份额为20.2%，超过火狐浏览器，位居市场第二位。

    The long, cold war over the Internet browser is heating up again.

    Recent statistics from StatCounter indicate that Microsoft's (MSFT) Internet Explorer may longer have quite the hold on the market. According to the web analytics company, which relies largely on page views for its methodology, Google (GOOG) Chrome seized the top spot with 32.4% of the overall browser market share for the month of May, compared with IE's 32.1%. Rounding out the top five were Mozilla's Firefox browser (25.6%), Safari (7%), and Opera (1.8%).

    May marks the first time that Internet Explorer has lost its lead since at least 2008, when StatCounter began tracking data, although the swap is not surprising given the browser's steady decline: its market share has fallen nearly 11% since just May of last year. Those numbers have come under some dispute by other web analytics firms like Net Applications, which tracks browser market share based on unique visitors and factors in different use cases in varying countries. By their measurements, Chrome's 20.2% share edged out Firefox for second place.

    不过，对于谷歌、微软、苹果和雅虎（Yahoo）等公司来说，更重要的是手机市场。

    旧金山欧普斯研究公司（Opus Research）分析师格雷格•斯特林表示：“其实重点在于客户数据以及加强对客户的控制。”可能正是基于这个原因，雅虎才决定凭借其酝酿已久的新产品Axis浏览器，在市场大展拳脚。Axis包括一系列手机浏览器应用和桌面插件，该浏览器放弃了传统的搜索结果页面，代之以缩略图界面，使用户可以快速从搜索页跳转到实际页面。Axis的功能与Chrome浏览器类似，此外，Axis还可以在不同设备上同步浏览历史和书签。Axis不仅可以为消费者提供全新的搜索体验，还可能为雅虎带来新的盈利机会。

    Even more important for companies like Google, Microsoft, Apple (AAPL), and Yahoo (YHOO) however, is mobile.

    "It's about data and more control of the customer," says Greg Sterling, an analyst with San Francisco-based Opus Research. That's likely why a company like Yahoo decided to make a big play with its buzzed-about new product, Axis. A series of mobile browsing apps and desktop plug-ins, Axis takes a radical approach by ditching the conventional results page in lieu of a thumbnail-focused interface that lets users quickly jump from their search to the actual page. Somewhat similar to Chrome, Axis also syncs data like say, browsing history and bookmarks across various devices. The product is an opportunity to get a new search experience in front of consumers, but also potentially opens up new ways for Yahoo to make money.