Browser War — Google Chrome into the mix now
By Tom Maduri on Sep 2, 2008 in web2.0
Google Chrome, rumored since 2004, was formally announced on the Google blog over the Labour day weekend. The oddly timed announcement was forced after Google prematurely sent out a comic book drawn up to herald the new browser’s arrival to some media outlets
Many are considering this a direct shot at Microsoft, which dominates the browser market, in response to IE8’s launch last week. Microsoft’s unveiling of a test version of its latest browser update, with tweaks that include more tools for Web surfers to cloak their on-line preferences, creating a shield that could make it more difficult for marketing networks to figure out which ads are most likely to appeal to which individuals.
Prior to Chrome, Google has been a strong supporter of Firefox, a Web browser developed by the open-source Mozilla Foundation, through an advertising partnership (recently extended until 2011). Firefox ranks as the second most popular browser, with a market share of more than 10 percent.
This announcement should not come as a surprise given the browser is the most significant piece of software related to the Internet. In a blog post Monday, Google touted Chrome as a more sophisticated Web browser better suited for displaying the dynamic and interactive content blossoming on the Web as people migrate from television, radio and newspapers.
Tags: googlechrome, microsoft IE 8, Mozilla, internet browsers, rich content, interactive content, security, internet preferences, internet marketing, search engine
5 Comment(s)
By James on Sep 2, 2008 | Reply
For years we have seen the mandatory installation of IE become more bloated by the year and less relevant to the ever changing environment of the internet. It’s latest iteration has been near laughable in it snail like speed. Yet Microsoft continues to insist on its installation. The end result:on my computer, as it is on the computers of countless others astute web surfers, IE just sits there taking up space and is never used. While IE still dominates the market with an almost 80% market share, it has slipped from its place of absolute power in 2004 where it controlled over 95%. Since then Firefox’s speed, adaptability and cutomizability has taken it from near zero to 15% in that time. And now Redmond Washington’s arch nemesis, has entered the fray. Their new view point on web browsing is interesting, however Google has not been overly successful in deploying many pet projects. That being said, the market is ripe for the picking and Microsoft may find itself caught with its pants down yet again.
By Karina Harris on Oct 20, 2008 | Reply
I have heard a great deal about Google Chrome as soon as it came out, but have yet to try it for myself because a lot of people jumped on the Chrome bandwagon the day it came out and then went back to FireFox by day’s end because of the amount of bugs found in Chrome. There is a lot to take into consideration when deciding on what browser to use long-term. I personally think that FireFox should come installed on new computers because so few people are using IE anymore and as more and more people start to use the internet for business endeavors, they want a browser that is reliable and not so buggy, very unlike IE.
By Blogger Needs and Solutions on Nov 2, 2008 | Reply
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By Anthony on Nov 25, 2008 | Reply
I definitely tried out Google Chrome the day it came out, and used it for about a week. I can’t say that I totally loved it though. I think it has to work out some issues overall, but the concept is definitely there.
By Amol Wagh on Mar 10, 2009 | Reply
Google Chrome’s launch was felt like only because of competetion (Personally to me) Still when i first used it it was good enough to sustain in a market. technically speaking there were bugs which is not good for security reasons, but many are removed till the date and chrome is getting better and better everyday