Google Chrome Web browser scheduled to be unveiled Tuesday, September 2, 2008. (Credit: Google Inc.)
For several years there’s been a Cold War going on between Google and Microsoft. In this war, Google is perceived as the underdog. It’s David against Goliath. Now Google has taken a bold step and announced that they have designed—from ground zero–their own Internet browser, dubbed “Chrome”. The actual launch of Chrome is expected sometime today. It will launch initially for Windows machines in 100 countries, with Mac and Linux versions to come.
In its most frontal and aggressive attack on Microsoft yet, sources with knowledge of the project said Google is trying to loosen Microsoft’s stranglehold on the most important piece of software for navigating the Internet. Google currently owns the cloud and now it needs a spaceship to reach the cloud. The cloud is the Internet and the spaceship is Chrome. Clear and simple—Google wants to bake the cake and eat it too.
Chrome is Google’s latest weapon in its bid to become the leader in all Internet areas. The latest major browser war was won by Microsoft when it was the clear winner of the battle for dominance in the 1990s against legendary Netscape browser currently owned by AOL.
Microsoft Internet Explorer presently has 72 percent of the browsers’ market share followed by Mozilla’s Firefox with 20 percent. The rest of the pie is distributed between Apple Safari, Opera and Netscape. Google’s strategy is to grab a chunk out of Internet Explorer; the sooner the better. There’s a lot of money involved in being a leader in Internet Advertising and a leader in Web Browsing. It’s a knock out one-two punch.
Experts say that Google doesn’t have to win the browser war. Strategically, opening yet another front against Microsoft, forces it to divert resources to defend franchises.
The Chrome browser, designed to cope with the next generation of graphics and multimedia dominated web applications, was announced in a Google blog late Monday. It was interesting, because Google used a cute comic book to tell the story.
True to its Mission and Vision, the application can be downloaded for free and its code will be open source so no rights will have to be paid by anyone using or adapting the software. According to Google’s Web site post, by Sundar Pichai, an engineering director and vice president for product management, Chrome is designed for speed and ease of use.
“Under the hood,” Mr. Pichai wrote, “we were able to build the foundation of a browser that runs today’s complex Web applications much better.”
He also commented, “we improved speed and responsiveness across the board. We also built a more powerful JavaScript engine, V8, to power the next generation of Web applications that aren’t even possible in today’s browsers.”
In a nutshell, Google has decided it must own and distribute a browser, especially since the browser has become the most significant piece of software related to the Internet, and the fulcrum on which most of Google’s business lies. In other words, Google is declaring the browser critical to its future and, in this regard, it’s absolutely right.
If you’re interested in getting your feet wet with Chrome (BETA) for Windows operating system, please click here. Google Chrome is a browser that combines a minimal design with sophisticated technology to make the web faster, safer, and easier. Yep, September is starting to look like an exciting month. Good Day!
Related Literature: First Images of Google’s Chrome – TechCrunch
