When Google released its new (and first) browser a few days ago (Chrome), many praised that move or welcomed this new player into the arena, but many others simply were a bit surprised and wondered if a new browser was really needed when this market already features IE, Firefox, Opera, Safari, Konqueror and a plethora of smaller ones. While IE is still leader, those who aren't satisfied with it have a good choice of alternatives, especially in Firefox and Opera. So fasten your seat belt to join me in a ride which will attempt to explain why this browser war could be a threat to Google's very foundation and why Chrome is maybe the most important move Google could have done to protect itself.
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Member since:2006-09-22
Yes, but by having their own browser they accomplish a few more things: They have complete control of their own window to the internet, they also gain developer mind-share thanks to the technologies Chrome came with and broader brand presence (Google sponsoring Mozilla is less visible than a real Google Browser).
Moreover, I'm sure that someday we'll see Chrome-only features in Google services like Gmail or Docs, making the browser a must-use for those who use those services. More people browsing without adblock apps means more ad views too.
Along with said services, Chrome is yet another way to track people's online behavior and preferences, and we all know that solid information means power and money in our current information-centric world.
Or maybe I'm pulling this too far, heh 
Member since:2006-06-03
Member since:2006-04-07
They could have waited for mozilla's new js engine (which is already in FF 3.1 alphas) which supposedly is even speedier than v8, this would have saved them a whole load of effort and would have done the same thing (at least if following the rationale of this article)
Reading the last sentence of his article, I'd think that Chrome wasn't the 'crux of his argument':
(Notice: the bulk of this article was written before Google released Chrome. That event only confirmed my view and this article has been adapted to include that)
Member since:
2008-03-17
If I understand the crux of the argument in this article is that google released chrome to protect itself by encouraging developers to use html and js...
They could have waited for mozilla's new js engine (which is already in FF 3.1 alphas) which supposedly is even speedier than v8, this would have saved them a whole load of effort and would have done the same thing (at least if following the rationale of this article)