Chrome gives Microsoft the hebejebies.

Posted by Bengaul

May 16, 2009

logo_sm Microsoft has been having a whinge at the EC regarding the decision it should bundle a competing browser with it’s operating systems. The Google Chrome browser, that currently holds about 1% of the pie, would, Microsoft claim, give Google a monopoly. Black, call, black, kettle, and pot, I hear you say, and I agree. Though not entirely.

You see, Chrome has a few things going for it that other browsers do not. For a start Google Chrome has Google. It may seem obvious, but the power of the search engine, and the browser together adds up to quite a bit of potential control over what comes your way. Add to that mix the marketing that Google can muster to push it’s browser, potentially through TV adverts, and you have an IE worrier.

Secondly, Chrome is not bad. If you haven’t tried it yet, then it’s worth giving a go. It’s quick, and since the 2.0.180.0 version it allows 3rd party extensions similar to Firefox. Don’t expect too much just yet though as it still has a lot of ground to cover before it reaches the broad scope of extensions Firefox has.

Chrome is also quite a secure browser. It is not an integrated part of the OS, and features none of the ActiveX controls that have plagued IE. This could be said for any of the other browsers out there like Opera, and Firefox to name two, but Chrome updates itself every few days, ensuring users have the latest version.

All these things of course, Microsoft would love to do given the chance, so you can see why they are campaigning so heavily against the European ruling. Chrome isn’t there quite yet for Mac and Linux users, but it’s getting closer, and having it’s browser bundled with Windows will certainly have a positive effect. I think competition with IE is certainly a good thing, and I recommend we watch with interest the developments in this area.

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