Google Creates Internet Browser to Take on Microsoft

[Mels_Smileys45]

Sept. 1 (Bloomberg) -- Google Inc., owner of the most popular Internet search engine, will offer its own free Web browsing software to challenge Microsoft Corp.

The browser, known as Chrome, will be available as a test version for download tomorrow in more than 100 countries, Mountain View, California-based Google said today in a blog post. The software is designed to isolate flawed Web pages so users can close them without shutting down the entire browser.

Google is battling Microsoft for customers who use a browser for tasks such as e-mail, calendars and word processing, applications that have traditionally been handled with software stored on a computer. A Web browser could help Google lure users to its programs and search engine, said analyst Roger Kay.

``This gives Google another opportunity to protect its flank and to create a new branding position,'' said Kay, president of Endpoint Technologies Associates in Wayland, Massachusetts. ``The browser is a broader platform than they currently have.''

The market for Web-based software may reach $160 billion by 2011, including revenue from advertising, Merrill Lynch & Co. said in a May report.

``We realized that the Web had evolved from mainly simple text pages to rich, interactive applications and that we needed to completely rethink the browser,'' said the Google blog post, credited to Sundar Pichai, vice president of product management, and Linus Upson, engineering director.

Market Share

Microsoft's Internet Explorer has about 72 percent of the Web browsing market, followed by Mozilla Corp.'s Firefox with 20 percent and Apple Inc.'s Safari with 6.4 percent, according to research firm Net Applications of Aliso Viejo, California.

Microsoft, based in Redmond, Washington, released a new version of Internet Explorer last week for testing. The software lets users control whether it saves the sites they've visited.

Mozilla, also based in Mountain View, said last week it extended an agreement through 2011 to keep Google as its default search engine. The company is owned by the non-profit Mozilla Foundation.

Like Firefox, Google plans to release Chrome as open-source software, meaning programmers can edit the code and add their own features.

Google fell $10.49, or 2.2 percent, to $463.29 on Aug. 29 in Nasdaq Stock Market trading. The shares have declined 33 percent this year.


Bloomberg

[Christoph]

an here comes the download Link, Mel! :
http://www.google.com/chrome/

P.S.: Fast as Hell!!!!

[Mels_Smileys45]

an here comes the download Link, Mel! :
http://www.google.com/chrome/

P.S.: Fast as Hell!!!!

Yeah, Ive been test driving this thing today. This thing is very fast. Downright scary fast! I think this will be the best browser for some time. Its about time a team rebuilt the concept from the floor up. The future? Chrome!

[mountain_rage]

Wonder if it will cut more into Mozilla's user base than Microsoft's. If it does I could see Mozilla switching to a variation based of the chrome source. That could be an interesting developement in itself.

I like how every page is separated as its own process, so if one page crashes the browser keeps on working. A

[evilmegaman]

oh snap it's out? sweet. I'll give it a go right now :)


I'm digging the idea of separate processes for separate tabs. and when you close them it doesn't leave memory fragments all over the place. cuz over time, firefox slows down to a halt. which is a big problem. can't wait to try it *installs*

[Feather]

I dont like betas will wait for full release.

[mountain_rage]

Feather, this isn't the same as a Microsoft beta. If you are happy with a Microsoft release than this should be far enough along developement for you.

[Mels_Smileys45]

Thats for sure. This Chrome is simply too amazing already

[Feather]

Ok I am typing from chrome now. it is fast but having hard time adjusting to set up.

also it wont block these google ads. I have not seen ads in over a year

[Signa]

I'm so happy with FF I dont feel compelled to even try it :P

[mfgbypooter]

Meh, the novelty has already worn off.

So is it a browser or a bowser?

I vote greyhound, its fast but its still a dog.

*

[Potato]

Wonder if it will cut more into Mozilla's user base than Microsoft's. If it does I could see Mozilla switching to a variation based of the chrome source. That could be an interesting developement in itself.

I like how every page is separated as its own process, so if one page crashes the browser keeps on working. A

This is exactly what some of us were discussing at work today.

I think IE users are less likely to be out downloading new browsers for fun than FF users are.
And I think IE users are less likely to change their default browser than FF users are.



edit: From p2pc: http://www.p2pconsortium.com/index.p...opic=16530&hl=

[mountain_rage]

Unless people really spread the word about Chrome I don't think it will take up much of the IE market share. If it is more secure than IE, techies might install it in office equipment, then you might start to see it replace IE.

Consortium post doesn't surprise me, thats how Google makes allot of their money. The information is appreciated anyway. Their desktop search, gmail etc all gather some information about the user. They have been pretty good from what I can tell at not associating the information to specific users. For now I'm alright with using their products, that could change however.

[N Fiddledog]

I tried to play the game, but started to read the terms of agreement, and there was some pretty questionable stuff there as far as the kind of control Google maintained over what you do, and how they watch you do it. Nevertheless I figured that might just be for special services you could opt out of, so I accepted the terms and continued on.

So I'm installing merrily away, and all of a sudden all these warnings start popping up from my startup manager asking if I want to accept all this stuff being written to my registry and such.

I just wanted to play with a new browser. I wasn't looking for a new "Big Brother" (no other browser had demanded this from me when I installed), so I declined. The Chrome install window disappeared, but something continued to download.

I never did get Chrome, but now my firewall pops up announcements from time to time saying Google wants to access the internet.

OK, so based on that I would advise this. If you don't want a bunch of curious stuff installed to your startup without which the browser won't work you may be dissatisfied with this, and do better waiting for Firefox, or Opera to add whatever little special doodads Chrome might offer.

[evilmegaman]

People are so paranoid. I'm sorry, but seriously, you guys are so suspicious of it like its out to get you. it's just a beta software. it's not the man trying to bring you down. christ