Is Google Chrome a death knell for Firefox?
Firefox symbolizes a lot about what’s good on the Web. It’s collaborative, infinitely adaptable with its extensive array of plugins, and largely influenced by community opinion. But what happens when another browser comes along like Google Chrome that adopts some of those same concepts but runs way faster and has Google’s powerful branding behind it?
Right now the single biggest differentiator between Google Chrome and Firefox is the library of plugins Firefox makes available to its users. That library essentially makes it possible to customize the browsing experience in almost every way. Right now Google Chrome is dependent on the features built in by its developers.
There are already a variety web sites focused on the future market for Google Chrome plugins and it’s just one indication for the building demand. Right now Google is focused on squashing bugs, and the installation executable seems to cause problems for people behind proxy servers, but eventually the company could make Chrome compatible with Firefox plugins (or maybe a derivative with only slight tweaking). That would effectively eliminate Firefox’s chief competitive advantage and highlight Chrome’s lightning fast response time, through scrolling with interactive media on the page still is a bit choppy.
Google is anxious to assert its dominance in the browser industry to further support its applications and to gain more control over the user experience. Microsoft’s Internet Explorer is still the dominant player but with IE8 still in development it’s popularity among Internet users is uncertain.
Mozilla is also somewhat dependent on Google for revenue, and that relationship could be at risk given Google’s new foray into the browser market. That leaves open source as an option for Mozilla, but that has its own set of risks and benefits. Or, maybe somehow Mozilla will continue to develop new features and efficiencies at a fast enough pace that Google Chrome continues to be an accessory browser.
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November 20th, 2008
I agree. I personally gave up Firefox for Chrome; however, Google hasn’t sold me 100% on their browser just yet.
I’d like to see the next release have a ‘print preview’ and a ‘print selection.’ Additionally, the promise that “if one tab crashed, the others would not” just doesn’t seem to work in my situation.
I would also like Chrome to remember the folder/directory where the last file saved was, and revert to that same directory on the next save (for saving files, images, etc,… from the web).
I would like to see better support for Flash applications, as they have significantly paused or crashed Chrome numerous times.
Oh, and the ‘confirm form submission’ page (when you browse back to a website) is just annoying.
Otherwise, it’s the perfect browser!
November 21st, 2008
Well, the thing about Chrome I don’t like is how intrusive it is behind the scenes: basically your entire online life is kept on file by Google for marketing purposes. The “do no evil” thing is fine, but someday there will be this horrible transgression of that trust, and users of Google’s myriad services will be the victims. With its extensions, Firefox allows for better control over ad display, control over scripting, etc., and it is cross-platform.
Firefox doesn’t deal nicely with memory, which is annoying, but in a future version of the software this will be mitigated if not eliminated–and the speed thing will improve over time, too.
By contrast, as Chrome develops functionality and customizability comparable to Firefox’s, it will slow down and encounter memory management issues of its own, too.
November 21st, 2008
Wow, here I was considering spending some quality time getting to know Chrome. Then I read George’s comments. Just those items alone would drive me nuts (no print preview, HELLO?!?). Maybe another beta or two maore and I’ll try it, but of course, by then feature bloat could slow it down just like Simon says.
November 21st, 2008
I gave up Firefox just to use Google Chrome. I like how they use “Duplicate” it’s awesome.
November 21st, 2008
RE: basically your entire online life is kept on file by Google for marketing purposes
You can choose not to have Google notified about your usage statistics; however, I can see your concern about privacy.
At one point, though, you’ll have to just give up on the idea that any one single entity, be it the government or Google, will one day be able to monitor every single person on the Internet.
Given that they could, and it’s probably well within their means, what would they do with that information?
Google would obviously use that information to make money (e.g. better targeted advertising).
So, I think we’ll be o.k. as long as the government doesn’t interfere with Google.
November 21st, 2008
I’d also like to mention that the “find on page” feature (CTRL + F) in Chrome will not search the text inside of a text box, which is also rather annoying.
November 23rd, 2008
I don’t think so. chrome needs a lot more (ahem) polish before it’s ready to dethrone firefox as the alternative browser of choice.
see http://blogs.computerworld.com/chrome_firefox
for more.
dt
November 24th, 2008
I differ, i just don’t like the ideal of big brother keeping a observent eye…
:P