Google Chrome - this could be interesting

Although it is not yet available to download (possibly later today) I think Google’s new browser, Chrome, could shake things up on the Net more than Firefox or any other browser has been able to. Alan Patrick on the Broadstuff blog sees the development as similar to Microsoft’s attempt to control the browser environment back in the 1990s and I would not argue with that. He mentions the potential for litigation and it will be interesting to see if Microsoft has any complaints about the Google product over the coming months. For me the interesting thing will be how it takes forward the deployment of Google Gears. While Microsoft certainly killed Netscape with Internet Explorer, it has not really helped Microsoft in its attempt to dominate the Web with most of its profits still coming from shrink-wrap software. However, a browser that can operate as an offline environment to run applications via Gears could really start to shake things up. Google certainly has the money to put behind it.

September 2nd, 2008