And it’s Firefox, and the execution is not exactly subtle. Now, it’s only promoted to folks inside the US, and only folks using IE (which is to say, most people, but not Mac folks like me who use Firefox or Safari). And, of course, Google Toolbar is featured heavily.
Up at Microsoft, they’re probably ordering new chairs for Ballmer’s office…
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Firefox rocks!
Am I the only one who doesn’t see the point in adding this visual bloat called ‘searchbar’ to any browser?
the first? On 9/11 Google’s homepage promoted specific news sources where you could find more info about the attacks.
Hashim –
I don’t think that counts..
News is a service, whereas John mentioned the first “non-Google Product”
Firefox is a product, not a service like newspapers and news shows, etc.
Raises market share by 3%.
John, I am surprised you still think that Firefox is a non-Google product :). If you look at the number of checkins that Google engineers make, I would posit that Google engineers like to believe that Firefox is very much their baby.
A little more on this topic:
http://adharni.blogspot.com/2006/03/why-google-needs-browser.html
Hmmm…default search takes out default browser, install with commoditized open browser. Reset default homepage to Google. I wonder how this tastes to Microsoft. Yahoo should look to follow. The only issue being MSFT gets a whole new round every single time they release a new operating system. Hence, Google is creating all of the productivity tools to make it so people can move away from microsoft operating system on home PCs.
The reason Google is pushing FireFox and attempting to elimiate Internet Explorer is the following
Internet Explorer often makes MSN the homepage – many casual surfers use the “search the web” form at the top or have their browser homepages automatically set to MSN or when typing an incorrect domain, may get transferred to and MSN page. By getting users AWAY from MSN — Google will DECREASE MSN’s search Share.
And statistically, many firefox users would use Google – thereby increasing THEIR search share.
Look at the “Locked” on a thread brought up on Channel 9
channel9.msdn.com/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=185608
Scared of IE7? 😉
“Am I the only one who doesn’t see the point in adding this visual bloat called ‘searchbar’ to any browser?”
The Google toolbar can be moved around, so you don’t have to have an extra bar on the browser: for instance, you can drag the searchbar and the autofill button to another bar, then uncheck the Google Toolbar (right click on the top bar, and click on “Google Toolbar”), and the searchbar and autofill button will still be there, adding function but taking up very little space. It’s one of the Google Toolbar’s coolest features, in my opinion.
“Now, it’s only promoted to folks inside the US, and only folks using IE (which is to say, most people, but not Mac folks like me who use Firefox or Safari)”
I assume that the “most people” is a reference to IE’s dominance, as opposed to the prevalence of Americans. The US population is scheduled to hit 300m in 236 days’ time, but I would hardly call this “most people”.
“I assume that the “most people” is a reference to IE’s dominance, as opposed to the prevalence of Americans. The US population is scheduled to hit 300m in 236 days’ time, but I would hardly call this “most people””
The US also has the largest internet useing population (followed by China), so this comment works in that respect also.
elias
I believe that Google pays the salary of one of the main programmers of Firefox. Meaning they(Google) are part of the development. This news comes of little surprise.
This promotion just undermines Google’s argument when they complain to the Feds about Microsoft’s default search in IE7.
Relationship of Google and Firefox has become stronger after the release of Firefox 2.0 so much that even Matt Cutts is writing more about Firefox these days than about Google.
Alec Baldwin asks for his voice to be removed from an "unfair" documentary about Arnold Schwarzenegger…
Dr Schmidt, you can’t play games with Magilla.
Don’t just promote FireFox on the Google index page.
REJECT queries that come in from all Microsoft browsers.
Are you kidding? If MSFT had the franchise you have now, nothing but IE would work. You need to kill off IE and start salting the earth in Redmond. You know every day Magilla gets up and squeezes his head to get his tiny little brain to think of ways of destroying Google.
Attack, Dr Schmidt, Attack!