Microsoft: If you want to be green, use Internet Explorer!
The "browser you loved to hate" continues to try and find ways to push itself into prominence against the likes of Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. Now, on World Environment Day, Microsoft comes up with yet another reason why you should choose Internet Explorer over its closest rivals. And this is one of the most imaginative ones yet -- energy efficiency!
Roger Capriotti, Director of Internet Explorer Marketing, tells us that, according to the Center for Sustainable Energy Systems at Fraunhofer USA, "When compared to Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer uses up to 18 percent less energy". He also adds in some fancy numbers, to boost this claim. Unsurprisingly, the report was commissioned by Microsoft.
It also was conducted on computers chosen by the software giant -- "We purchased ten different computers specified by Microsoft, including four desktops and six notebooks", says Fraunhofer USA.
Surprisingly (or not) Internet Explorer came out on top in every test! The browser drew 26.5 watts when playing Flash video, besting Firefox and Chrome which consumed 29.5 watts and 32.6 watts, respectively. Other similar results are included in the study.
As my colleague Brian Fagioli said earlier in group chat, "wow, what a flawed test". Yes. Microsoft commissioned it and specified what computers Fraunhofer USA should use, then published the results. No problems to see here, right?
"Power consumption is an important, but often overlooked, consideration in building a modern browser. It is one of our objectives to lead the industry in power requirements because the more efficiently a browser uses power, the longer a user can enjoy the web on a PC, the lower the electricity costs and the smaller the environmental impact", says Capriotti.
Do not get me wrong. Internet Explorer is a good browser -- version 10 at least. However, I would prefer to see a more open test that is conducted independently. This is not to say Internet Explorer would not win -- only that it should be a fair fight.