Browsers: IE, Chrome, Firefox, etc.
Browsers convert HTML code in to a visual display on the users computer. The Microsoft Browser, Internet Explorer ("IE") had traditionally been the most popular desktop/laptop browser, but it's market trend is falling. The general trend in browser usage during the last several years has been away from Internet Explorer. Chrome is the most popular browser globally.
The growth in mobile devices has reduced the importance of Internet Explorer as well, since few mobile devices use a Microsoft Browser.
Internet Explorer browsers have some good features, but they have frequently lagged behind other browsers in compliance with W3C Standards and adoption of CSS3. The latest version of Internet Explorer, IE10, is far more modern, and, according to many reviews, a truly modern browser. Each version of IE (the latest versions are IE8, IE9 and IE10) has tended to display identical web pages fairly differently.
Global Desktop Browser Stats, November 2012:
Desktop Browser Popularity, W3C Schools Visitors (Geeks), October 2012:
Sample Bias: "W3Schools is a website for people with an interest for web technologies."
StatCounter North American Desktop Browser Usage Rankings: