When I told my husband he’s the one that convinced me to finally use Google Chrome as my search engine of choice, I lied.

In reality, it was Delta.

For over a year, my husband had been telling me that my browser speed sucked. Through research, he had identified the two clear reasons:

  1. I operate with 36 tabs open at any given time, some of which are likely loading important videos which may or may not include a live feed of a panda in a Chinese zoo, Youtube videos of kittens sneezing, and the latest episode of the Real Housewives of  Beverly Hills, New York City, anywhere.
  2. I don’t use Chrome.
Since #1 was a problem likely not to be fixed in this lifetime, he was fixated on #2 — and launched a full-fledged campaign to get me to switch, which mostly included bragging about how fast his browser was while watching mine limp along.
It was impressive, annoying, and ultimately ineffective.
Yes, I said, I see that your browser is faster than mine — but I’ve been using Firefox for ten years and it has this great add-on called Too Many Tabs and I don’t even know if that runs on Google Chrome, you know? So I just can’t switch. Plus, I’m not even sure Chrome works with my new favorite website for finding Agatha Christie movies online so it would be just too much of a risk. Obviously.
But then, the holidays came. And with the holidays came an exciting little promotion on Delta Airlines (and other airlines, I hear, but I only fly Delta) that gave all passengers free Chrome on their flights.
And, with the simple allure of a free little thing called connection, I got hooked.
And now, even when someone dangles the promise of a new Firefox 10 upgrade in my face, I am not swayed. I mean, sure, I may have downloaded the upgrade, like any normal person lured by shiny free things. But I certainly didn’t use it.
I love me some Chrome, ‘yo. And my life is better for it.