Since I did a presentation at ABA TECHSHOW 2010 with Erik Mazzone called Supercharge Your Browser: Add-Ons, Extensions and Tweaks, I've been thinking about how many lawyers use Microsoft Internet Explorer as their browser just because it is handy and they always have used it.

But one trend I noticed pretty clearly at ABA TECHSHOW 2011 is the number of people who are very smart about technology who use Google Chrome as their primary browser. Yes, it wasn't that long ago that the "Alternative to IE" crowd was all about Firefox. But now they seem to be moving quickly to Chrome. Lifehacker noted this trend last year in How and Why Chrome Is Overtaking Firefox Among Power Users. This would be a good starting place for anyone wondering why anyone would even care to change their browser.

The reason is that it is all about the plugins—browser plug-ins that is.  

Erik Mazzone gave us his favorites for Chrome in SmallLaw: Browser Bliss: My 14 Favorite Chrome Apps and Extensions at the Technolawyer blog.

Last week HuffPost Tech weighed in with Google Chrome Extensions: The 11 Best Add-Ons For The Busiest Browser.

David Whelan recently published a nice chart of research browser plug-ins for Microsoft Internet Explorer, Chrome, Firefox and Safari. There are more for IE than you might imagine.

If you are interested in trying out Chrome, it is a free download. So there's little risk in becoming familiar with what many now say is the best of the browsers.