Chrome: Browser, Competition, and Future
I. Introduction
A.Web Browser
1.Brief History
On September 2, 2008, Google launched their open source web browser, Google Chrome. It was designed to be simpler, faster, and easier to use than any other browser on the market. Google has raised the bar even further since the introduction of the browser with the new Google Chrome Operating. System
The idea of the web browser started to try to make it easier for users to surf the web. The engineers at Google added some simple features that really set the browser apart from their competitors. The address bar now functions as a search engine instead of actually having to go to a search engine site. The browser also was built in a version of JavaScript Virtual Machine called V8. This was designed to speed up the browser because of the mass amounts of JavaScript found on the internet today. Another aspect that is considered new in the web browsing industry is Google Chromes unique way of using special tabs. The tabs serve as separate windows instead of them being in the same window below the address bar. The default homepage also sets this browser apart as it has nine screenshots that will represent the users most visited websites and the ability to see your most recently searched and recently bookmarked as well. Google Chrome features a private mode in which whatever you browse won’t be logged into your computer’s memory. In the security department, Google Chrome is always downloading a log of malware infested sites to keep the user safe from the internet.
2.Advantages of Chrome
An online article by J.R.Raphael from PC Word Magazine listed seven reasons for and seven reason against downloading and using Google Chrome. The first reason for getting Chrome is that it won’t crash. Chrome works on a multiprocessing architecture which means a site that is harmful and that usually makes a browser crash, will not because of the unique tab feature found with Chrome. The second is that the browser operates at a very high speed. The multi processing architecture is to accredit this aspect as well. The third reason is that the browser is very ascetically pleasing, which means the user would barely notice it running. Fourth is the search function being built into the address bar making it much easier to search the web. The fifth reason is the ability to manipulate tabs, since the tabs operate as separate windows and they respond as separate windows. A feature is dragging them to change the order and the ability to combine then when the user wishes to do so. The next to last reason is the new home page; the home page is basically the user’s door way into their own search history, most visited site, and their favorites. The last reason is the ability to have the privacy function.
3.Disadvantages of Chrome
The reasons against are listed in the same article. The first is that Google Chrome is new, so more bugs and problems are on the way. Second, Google Chrome has no add-on at this time which you still find with the other browsers on the market. Third is the inability to be able to synchronize between multiple computers. The fourth reason is that the standards for coding and structure are very low with Chrome so this means that when you go to a page text formatting will be a little different compared to the other browsers that are already on the market. The final reason for not getting chrome is the fact that the user will lose the ability to go back and search history from a certain date, Chrome only allows users to see history from day to day not month to month (*8)
II. Competition
A. Marketshares between rival web browsers
The marketshare for Google Chrome is still minimal but it is moving up the ranks fast. Since the browser is new it will still take a while for it to catch up to the bigger web browsers such at Firefox and Internet Explorer. The graph below shows where the market share for each web browser for November 2009.
B. Chrome VS. WORLD
1.Firefox
As far as the competition goes, the main open source web browser is Mozilla’s Firefox. The speed that Google advertized was very appealing. In a test performed by a freeware website on the same computer with the cache memory cleared, both browsers were opened. On average, Firefox needed around 30 seconds to load fully and Google Chrome needed 33 second 3 seconds more than Firefox needed (*5). The biggest advantage Google Chrome has over Firefox is the ability to handle multiple tabs as separate processes instead of having multiple tabs opened in each window like Firefox. Chrome also offers a sleeker environment without a menu bar or status bar, its all one solid piece (*6). Google Chrome is the only web browser that can possible take market share away from Firefox. Both browsers try to do the same thing by giving an easy to use and secure web browser. Also both have applications built into to support and make JavaScript run much faster that the competitors (*9).
2.Microsoft
Microsoft was on the verge of releasing Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 when the news of Chrome was revealed by Google. Internet Explorer has been declining in market share every since Firefox took over the majority share. So the effect on either side will be negligible. The main difference between the two products is that Internet Explorer comes with every Windows machine for free, even though Google Chrome is free; it still has to be downloaded onto the machine.
3.Opera
When it comes to Opera, Chrome will soon be offering a web browser/Operating system, Google’s Android, for mobile phones that would threaten Opera’s popularity in the mobile business.
4.Apple
Google Chrome uses the Webkit rendering engine which is the same as the Safari, Apples web Browser. Google is developing for the OS X but with Safari already on Mac, it will be hard to stray Mac users from it because they are so similar (*9).
III. Future OS
A. Google Chrome OS
The future and newest development is the Google Chrome Operating System which is set to release the second have of 2010. This OS was directed for people who spend a majority of their time using computers on the internet (*1) The OS will be very lightweight, open source, Linux-based, and will be browser-based
1. Effect on Netbooks
Generally, most netbooks have hard drives but when it gets down to Chrome OS Netbooks, they will have non-volatile flash memory. The information that will need to be saved will now be stored online along with the applications which will be web-based. So installing applications would be obsolete because everything is managed online (*2).
2. Competition for Microsoft
The impact to windows is simple, 96% of netbooks run windows but it’s mostly XP based which is now 8 years old. This is going to give users the option to pick from an opensouce provider that will offer them something new instead of an old operating systems.
IV. Closing
A. Summary
Google Chrome web browser offers some unique and great ways to surf the internet. But, it has yet to take over the masses to cause market shares to turn in their favor. Along with the future OS, the market share may yet go their way.
