Why is Google building a browser?

Seth Weintraub
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September 02, 2008
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A lot of people had a question about why Google would want to create their own browser. We think it really revolves around bringing Google applications to the desktop with Google gears...and taking on Microsoft Silverlight and Adobe Air.  But see what they have to say - with a little PR speak mixed in...

Oh, and there is this new thing called Android?

Comments (5)

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | September 02, 2008 - 1:01pm

Google Chrome privacy Mode
Google has a better implementation of a privacy mode (aka porn mode) like Safari.

It implements them as a new windows.. So you can keep both private and not so private windows simultaneously.

See the screenshots..

http://monitor20.blogspot.com/2008/0...s-privacy.html

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | September 02, 2008 - 3:11pm

Like the Incognito mode?

http://www.google.com/chrome/intl/en-GB/features.html?hl=en-GB#

frimpo (not verified) | September 02, 2008 - 1:15pm

It's pretty obvious why Google wants a new browser . . . . With Internet Explorer 7, and recently 8 beta, Microsoft's default search engine is its own. Since most PC users (yes, a generalization) are pretty inept, or rather oblivious, to the search engines offered on the web, they are going to use the default search engine.

Therein lies why Google needs a browser that uses Google as the default search engine. The hope is to increase revenues generated from advertising, which is being eaten away at by Microsoft's use of its own default search engine (whose advertising revenue goes back to Microsoft).

Whether or not Google will be successful in regaining some of its lost advertising profits, I think, seems doubtful. For those who would prefer to use a Google web browser are probably also more likely to use google.com as their search engine as opposed to the shoddy engine that Microsoft attempts to pass off onto unwary PC users.

Luis Alejandro Masanti (not verified) | September 02, 2008 - 2:14pm

Schimdt has been a long time on Apple's board... close to Steve... and get infected with Steve's contfreakeness! (Or he just realized that this is worthwhile to Google.)

Olternaut (not verified) | September 02, 2008 - 9:02pm

Its fairly obvious why Google is coming out with Chrome. Its just another necessary step the industry has to take to increasingly make microsoft's windows irrelevant. You may not be gone today windows but soon enough you will be.