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Google Chrome: The Fast Browser With Slow Adoption

pcworld.com

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Re: Google Chrome: The Fast Browser With Slow Adoption

#11

Post by fnid »

benofsky wrote: post #10

I don't think Google's primary goal here is to have the largest market share in the browser market but to be able to drive innovation in the other leading browsers through competition. Google Chrome drove Firefox (and others) to improve the speed of their javascript engines/interpreters which is hugely beneficial for Google meaning their web apps now run faster across the board. In my opinion, Google Chrome exists to…

That's why they have television commercials for chrome?

If they wanted to make the web better, why didn't they just contribute to the Firefox project itself rather than inventing their own browser?

Releasing, yet another browser only complicates things for existing web developers.

Re: Google Chrome: The Fast Browser With Slow Adoption

#13

Post by thristian »

benofsky wrote: post #10

I don't think Google's primary goal here is to have the largest market share in the browser market but to be able to drive innovation in the other leading browsers through competition. Google Chrome drove Firefox (and others) to improve the speed of their javascript engines/interpreters which is hugely beneficial for Google meaning their web apps now run faster across the board. In my opinion, Google Chrome exists to…

A more impressive example: Chrome's multiple-process rendering system has spurred Mozilla to work on a similar system to Firefox - and not just copying the idea, but wholesale importing code from Chromium:

    https://wiki.mozilla.org/Content_Processes

Re: Google Chrome: The Fast Browser With Slow Adoption

#14

Post by Perceval »

benofsky wrote: post #10

I don't think Google's primary goal here is to have the largest market share in the browser market but to be able to drive innovation in the other leading browsers through competition. Google Chrome drove Firefox (and others) to improve the speed of their javascript engines/interpreters which is hugely beneficial for Google meaning their web apps now run faster across the board. In my opinion, Google Chrome exists to…

Mozilla was working on an updated Javascript engine before Chrome was announced (actually, accidentally leaked via comic book). Chrome certainly lit a fire under Firefox and Safari to release their updated Javascript engines, but their implementations were in the pipeline before anyone formally knew about Chrome.

Re: Google Chrome: The Fast Browser With Slow Adoption

#15

Post by benofsky »

fnid wrote: post #11
benofsky wrote: post #10

I don't think Google's primary goal here is to have the largest market share in the browser market but to be able to drive innovation in the other leading browsers through competition. Google Chrome drove Firefox (and others) to improve the speed of their javascript engines/interpreters which is hugely beneficial for Google meaning their web apps now run faster across the board. In my opinion, Google Chrome exists to…

That's why they have television commercials for chrome? If they wanted to make the web better, why didn't they just contribute to the Firefox project itself rather than inventing their own browser? Releasing, yet another browser only complicates things for existing web developers.

Well the other browsers aren't going to make their product better if no one knows of anything better hence the tv commercials.

They didn't contribute to Firefox instead of inventing their own browser because if they have a browser of their own their contributions and improvements don't have to be approved (or denied) by a 3rd party.

Chrome also does not make things more complicated for existing web developers as it is based of webkit so it renders pages very similarly to Safari.

Re: Google Chrome: The Fast Browser With Slow Adoption

#16

Post by fserb »

"To date, Chrome really hasn't had the success that I suspect Google had anticipated for it," said Sheri McLeish, a Forrester analyst.

What sort of comment is that? One could create a quote like that about virtually anything in the world.

The article as a whole seems pretty bad. Looks like the author was looking for a reality to support his thesis...

Re: Google Chrome: The Fast Browser With Slow Adoption

#17

Post by benofsky »

thristian wrote: post #13
benofsky wrote: post #10

I don't think Google's primary goal here is to have the largest market share in the browser market but to be able to drive innovation in the other leading browsers through competition. Google Chrome drove Firefox (and others) to improve the speed of their javascript engines/interpreters which is hugely beneficial for Google meaning their web apps now run faster across the board. In my opinion, Google Chrome exists to…

A more impressive example: Chrome's multiple-process rendering system has spurred Mozilla to work on a similar system to Firefox - and not just copying the idea, but wholesale importing code from Chromium: https://wiki.mozilla.org/Content_Processes

Ah, very interesting. Didn't think of this in relation to my point above but it explains why Chrome is open-source too.

Re: Google Chrome: The Fast Browser With Slow Adoption

#18

Post by whopa »

fnid wrote: post #11
benofsky wrote: post #10

I don't think Google's primary goal here is to have the largest market share in the browser market but to be able to drive innovation in the other leading browsers through competition. Google Chrome drove Firefox (and others) to improve the speed of their javascript engines/interpreters which is hugely beneficial for Google meaning their web apps now run faster across the board. In my opinion, Google Chrome exists to…

That's why they have television commercials for chrome? If they wanted to make the web better, why didn't they just contribute to the Firefox project itself rather than inventing their own browser? Releasing, yet another browser only complicates things for existing web developers.

To be fair to Google, they tried to contribute to Firefox back in the Firefox 1.x timeframe, but they realized that Mozilla is rather dysfunctional open source project. It is incredibly hard to get feature work into Mozilla as an outsider, so they decided to go their own way. In a way they got what they wanted in the end, now with Mozilla copying stuff from Chrome wholesale now that someone else has made them look bad.

The main things holding Chrome back adoption-wise is a stable Mac version, and extension hooks to support popular functionality like AdBlock and Noscript. With those you'll start seeing geeks and tech influencers switch, which will probably start eating at Firefox's market share. It's a testament to the power of Google's brand that it's got as much market share right now as it does, which is mainly at the expense of IE.

Re: Google Chrome: The Fast Browser With Slow Adoption

#19

Post by chrischen »

It's like Silverlight. Initially people were like "oh flash is already on 99% of computers" but failed to realize the fact that 99% (not really, but close enough) of computers come with Windows, and Microsoft controls Windows. Microsoft, when ready, can easily get people to use it.

And with Google, all it has to do is slap that browser on its front page if it really wanted the average user to switch.

Obviously Google chrome still has some kinks, so they won't want the average user to switch just yet (assuming that's even their goal).

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