Maybe it’s not that serious, but a study from research firm AptiQuant claims that Internet Explorer (IE) users have a lower than average IQ than people that use Google Chrome, or Firefox.
Researchers gave over 100,000 web surfers a free online IQ test. Scores were stored in a database along with each person’s web browser data.
The results suggested that Internet Explorer surfers had an average IQ in the low eighties. Chrome, Firefox and Safari rated over 100, while minority browsers Opera and Camino had an “exceptionally higher” score of over 120.
Cambridge University’s Statistical Laboratory Professor, David Spiegelhalter dismissed the claims stating “They’ve got IE6 users with an IQ of around eighty. That’s borderline deficient, marginally able to cope with the adult world.
“I believe these figures are implausibly low – and an insult to IE users.”
Other supporters of IE have even threatened to sue Aptiquant for publishing such claims.
Many people stick with IE because it ships with windows, has a familiar interface and it gets the job done – a ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ type of thing.
I am of the opinion that Chrome provides a better web browsing experience over IE for several reasons (check out the related article), but that doesn’t mean that I don’t use IE when it is convenient to do so.
What are you using? Does it matter to you?
UPDATE: Good news! Turns out that this was just an elaborate hoax, a good old Milli Vanilli. And just like that late 80’s pop group, it had everybody fooled; from ZDNet, to the BBC News and even CBS News. Click here to read more about the hoax for yourself.
