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Google to pre-install Chrome on new PCs?
Those who have been around long enough will probably remember a time when Netscape dominated the browser market in terms of usage, only to lose most of that share to Internet Explorer during the browser war in the late 1990s. But how did Microsoft pulled it off? Simple, by pre-installing its software and having it ready to go with every copy of Windows sold.
Now it seems Google is mulling a similar scheme with their browser, Google Chrome, in a move that could significantly boost their presence in search and also put some of their web based apps in front of new users. According to Google VP of Product Management, Sundar Pichai, the browser's beta period will end in January after which the company “will probably do distribution deals” with OEMs.
With Microsoft not expected to release IE8 until sometime in the first quarter of 2009 and its browser share slipping lately, now might be just the right time for Chrome to strike – and securing pre-installation deals could be the way to go. Of course, Google must also go against Mozilla and Apple who have been steadily growing a strong presence in the market.
Now it seems Google is mulling a similar scheme with their browser, Google Chrome, in a move that could significantly boost their presence in search and also put some of their web based apps in front of new users. According to Google VP of Product Management, Sundar Pichai, the browser's beta period will end in January after which the company “will probably do distribution deals” with OEMs.
With Microsoft not expected to release IE8 until sometime in the first quarter of 2009 and its browser share slipping lately, now might be just the right time for Chrome to strike – and securing pre-installation deals could be the way to go. Of course, Google must also go against Mozilla and Apple who have been steadily growing a strong presence in the market.
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User Comments (8)
Post a comment| skitzo_zac on November 21, 2008 10:19 PM | Pffft, Opera FTW.
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| Auldian on November 22, 2008 2:49 AM | Opera's the best browser. It's sad how the popular media seem to ignore it.
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| windmill007 on November 22, 2008 9:48 AM | If Google gets add-ons and more customization going they might have a chance. Until then people in the know use Firefox and people with viruses use IE 
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| yukka on November 22, 2008 11:00 AM | Used Opera about 6 years ago and although it was interesting I didnt stay with it. using firefox now as standard with IE7 for accessing sites that are poorly programmed for compatability.
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| DarkCobra on November 22, 2008 6:21 PM | I remember all too well the vicious anti-trust war between Netscape and IE back in the '90's. What a mess. Why can't a link to ALL the popular browsers be provided and allow the marketplace to pick its own winner? (Firefox, IE, Chrome, Opera, etc.) I'd rather have useful items like this on a new computer than all the fluff stuff that junks up a new computer now.
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| JerryWithaJ on November 23, 2008 6:52 AM | I think Chrome is dead, for the near future at least. The problem with Chrome is that Google released an unfinished, unintuitive(*) product. Too many Firefox users (those most likely to use something other than IE) tried it, found it lacking, and dropped it. You never get a second chance to make a first impression. I work in an environment where we can choose our own browser (that is, we are not restricted to the exclusive use of the organizational standard). I know only ONE person who likes Chrome.
(*) It's from Google. It comes with two search bars. You'd think one of them (or SOMETHING installed by default) would result in a Google search. You'd be wrong! If you take the time to look you can learn how to configure Chrome that way, but you'd think the Google folks would have figured out that part of the appeal of a browser from Google would be easy access to...Google!
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| igal_alkon on November 24, 2008 8:58 AM | i have to say this, I'm working in Web Development for more than a few years now, and from my point of view, Chrome is a wonderful solution for development, and in final version will be good for the average user too.
many people see this browser for the first time, and because it's so different from the crap they used to, it's hard for them to accept this fact. you guys may think, "but I'm no web developer, so i don't care", well maybe most are not, but let's not forget who are the ones that makes the millions you surf to every day. IE was never a browser that supported web standards like it should, making life of a web developer very hard and taking lots of work time just to fit web site for IE. Firefox, Safari and Chrome are all browsers that are based on the same kit. they all got good support for web standards. in Chrome JS engine was rewritten from the ground up, and it runs very good, FF3.1 will do the same. Chrome give you some tools that FF3 can give you only via third-party addons. and let's not forget, Chrome is still in beta, and even when final, this is only version 1. more will come. it's a fast browser, it won't crash the whole application even if one of the websites open crash - this not true for all other browsers. and if you ask about IE8? well it's microsoft, the current beta is still poor, and i wouldn't expect too much of this. but they don't have much of a choice. they just have to make it in-line with the other browsers or they dead.
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| eafshar on November 24, 2008 3:14 PM | persoanlly i am having a problem with firefox.. find it lagging on sites like youtube.. have been using chrome and it works very nicely. i used ccleaner to fix the problem but it didnt help
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