Is it possible for users of other Web browsers to be smarter than the people who use Microsoft’s Internet Explorer? According to a new survey by a Vancouver-based Web consulting company, it’s a possibility.
The survey by AptiQuant gave more than 100,000 participants an IQ test, while monitoring which browser they used to take the test. The results showed that Internet Explorer users scored lower than average, while Chrome, Firefox and Safari users were slightly above average.
Meanwhile, users of the more obscure Camino and Opera browsers, as well as those using Explorer with Chrome Frame (a plug-in designed to let users view emerging HTML5 content), had what AptiQuaint called “exceptionally higher” IQ levels.
Participants in this survey were self-selecting — people who chose, on their own, to take an IQ test instead of a scientifically selected study group. They found the test through Web searches or ads the company placed online.
So what can we really take away from this survey?
The report suggests that people using Explorer may be more resistant to change. Because a similar study in 2006 showed users on the then-current IE browser scored above average.
Currently Internet Explorer is still the world’s most popular browser, with about a 43% share, according to StatCounter. Firefox has just under 30%, and Google’s Chrome has 19%, according to a report from May.