December 12, 2008

Google Chrome, the Default Browser in Google Pack

Now that it's no longer in beta, Google Chrome has been added to Google Pack. Firefox bundled with Google Toolbar is still available, but you need to explicitly select it. Adding Chrome to Google Pack means that existing users will be informed about the new software and the new users will install Chrome instead of Firefox.

Google contributed significantly to Firefox's popularity by promoting it on the homepage, including the browser in a software bundle and encouraging publishers to promote Firefox. Google's official alternative to Internet Explorer is now Chrome.

18 comments:

  1. That's not true for every language!
    For example, the French pack doesn't include Chrome...

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  2. The change seems to be only for English (US) and English (UK), but Chrome is localized in many languages, so including it is just a matter of time.

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  3. Is that a bad news for Firefox?

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  4. ...youre as cold as ice...

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  5. For web developers this is bad news. Having yet another platform to test and maintain spreads our resources even more thinly. And having Google become a vertically integrated stack reduces the openness that makes life possible for ISVs.

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  6. Unfortunately it comes without three words: "With Google Toolbar" (see Firefox)

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  7. it makes sense on google's part, why wouldn't they promote their own product?

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  8. Isn't Google Chrome just using the same rendering engine (Webkit) as Safari so you don't have to test a site with Chrome if it works withSafari

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  9. Anonymous at 12:21, the answer to your question is "no". Web browsers are more than just a rendering engine. Chrome, for example, has an entirely different JavaScript engine than Safari so if you employ any JS at all in your site, you can't rely on it working across browsers. They also use an entirely different graphics sub-system. I'm sure there are other large components that are different too.

    Even if they all used the same JS engine, Graphics sub-systems, layout modules, parsers, storage systems, networking libraries, etc, you'd still have the problem that they're not all using the same versions of those components.

    Webkit is just a small piece of those browsers. It's an important piece, but it's not the whole story so, no, one Webkit-based browser is not the same as another Webkit-based browser.

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  10. I don't see this as an issue for web developers. It uses the same rendering engine as Safari, and its Javascript engine hasn't caused any issues that I've seen. In general, it's been pretty complient with standards and anything that has worked fine in Opera or Safari has worked fine in Chrome.

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  11. Do we have to stop any web development just to make not too much work for web developers ? Do we really miss Netscape and Internet Explorer ? How can developers continue to work for I.E ? Because I.E users are still more numerous ? Is really a I.E user a good target for a web developer ? That just some questions...

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  12. Google didn't really "contributed significantly to Firefox's popularity by promoting it on the homepage, including the browser in a software bundle and encouraging publishers to promote Firefox"

    It was a nice thing, but not "significant" when compared to Firefox's organic growth. Firefox is getting over 1.25 million downloads every single day right now from the Mozilla websites. Google's distribution help has never accounted for more than low single digit percentages of Firefox growth.

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  13. Alas, us "Google neglected" Mac users wait and wait.....
    "Google Pack requires Windows XP or Vista. Here is some Google software for your Mac."
    Now there's something Firefox doesn't do.

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  14. if you select spanish, you will see it normally, no google chrome in the selection area.

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  15. Well, Google might not help with the ads but they give Mozilla 60 millions each year for the development of Chrome...so....

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  16. Sorry..I meant the development of Firefox xD damn

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  17. I have windows vista on google chrome i go to options~ basics the i press set google chrome as my default browser it wont let me what do i do.

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  18. Isn't Google Chrome just using the same rendering engine (Webkit) as Safari so you don't have to test a site with Chrome if it works withSafari.
    if you select spanish, you will see it normally, no google chrome in the selection area.

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