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Meanwhile, Google and its rivals continue to make waves on other fronts. On Sunday, the New York Post reported that, based on recent hires of high-tech personnel, including certain Microsoft (MSFT:Nasdaq - commentary - research) veterans, it appeared that Google is developing its own Web browser and other software products to challenge the Redmond giant.
Back when Alta Vista was king of search, I recall similar sentiments being expressed about a young upstart company named Google! Who *needed* another search engine?
Browsers are different because there are far more standartised with well defined way how to render pages unlike few de jure standards on how search engines should operate, particuarly in regards to how return relevant results.
As for the gBrowser domain and link sent by 'drbrain' it appears to be a Mac version of Picasa, could they be buying it as well?
My 2 pesos, for what it’s worth.
-Eric
I, as a tech dude myself didn't even feel like I needed to switch from IE, untill all the toolbars/spyware/pigybackware and other crap hit EI HARD. Basically, I think that all the hakers out there are writting code for IE. I switched back to Netscape (and it feels good, like the good old days...) and it is much less targeted by bad-ware than IE and has better security controls (even though, with SP2, they seem to be pusing up the security of IE).
Nonetheless, Google, which has been amazing at branding its products, and has huge traffic (obviously) could leverage its name into pushing a new browser. Basically, quality will prevail. And even though Microsoft used its monopoly on Windows to beat Netscape, lets not forget how IE outperformed Netscape at one point. The same could be done to IE,
I can just see how Google and M$ will suck all the info from what we browse to help their search engines including relative Adwords etc in our face (maybe).
The next 2 years are going to be very interesting.
Once users are happy with a SE, they are reluctant to change - if the results aren't what they expected/want, they just delve deeper into the pages.
The average user doesn't think 'oh, this isn't what i wanted, i'll go try yahoo or whatever'. They'll keep searching till they find what they want, even if it's on page 10 of the results.
I remember when I first started using SE's (ok, quite a while ago) and i would do exactly the same thing. And if I found what i wanted on page 25, i would think the site was at fault, not the SE.
[fool.com...]
I use IE on Windows just because, but on the Mac I use a mozilla browser and safari. IE is loaded just because. Will they make it for the mac if they do? ;)
If a derivitive of mozilla the mpl (mozilla public license) would ensure that any feature of merit they release would be public and therefore could be backported. This locks google into a scenario where retaining market share means having to constantly introduce inovative features...in short they commit to "Do good" rather then "Do no evil".
My theory on this in brief - is that he has the ability to see how people surf will have a definitive edge in the SE market. You can order the results based on what the majority of users seem to think is most relevant rather then sorting in an inhuman mechanical manner. While many would argue that google has the capabilites to view surfers today - the javascript tracking in their pages is insufficiant to get real data (such as how long a user is on a site...did they click through and grow so frustrated with your results that they went to another engine - of did they find the site they wanted and make a purchase). The toolbar - while certianly having the ability to do better tracking - is generally used in an anonymous manner except by those who most have an interest in manipulating googles results (SEO types).
I think the adwords revenue that could be generated through a browser is almost an aside - more prevailent real issues such as capturing market share before the microsoft machine can get rolling, and utilizing that (browser) market share to gain (search engine) market share are at stake.
<edit>spelling<edit>
"It's best to do one thing really, really well.
Google does search. Google does not do horoscopes, financial advice or chat. With the largest research group in the world focused exclusively on solving search problems, Google knows what it does well and how it could be done better."
Lately they don't seem to be following their own philosophy very well...
Must be all of those stocks they just sold ;)
You'd have to view all these moves (including the web browser thing, which is speculation at this point) as a way to improve their search. Their index is ginormous, and no one's quite sure why crappy results are coming up more than ever before, but it could very well be that they're positioning their software to use their extended services [google.com] to their full benefit.
Google has never been (not necessarily suggesting that they're a company that will never be) a company to know something's wrong and roll with it. We're not talking a George Lucas w/ the new Star Wars or Microsoft with IE here (ha) where people complain about the products, and it's generally known that something's very wrong, but they ignore it. At the same time, I'm not drawing the whole God analogy where everything they do is "part of the grand plan". It seems, though, that they're developing something bigger than what they currently have. That's what sandboxes are for, no?
Not so.
Most of the "average or below average" computer users referred to already have computers that work for them. How many of them will "upgrade" or buy new systems just to get Longhorn? Few, not counting the IT guys/gals who can't see outside of their current rut.
The biggest challenge will be to capture NEW computer users, and to wrest share from current MS users.
By the time Longhorn comes out, don't be surprised if you see it offered unmodified on a fraction of the new systems being sold, in favor of modified versions (i.e. different browser, maybe GGL's) or Linux installations.
Anyway, there are decades of growth ahead, and maybe a Google browser won't stink!
Watch this space.
As for building from the ground up ... I think again it comes back to brand. Google is known for their innovative technology. In order to stay true to their calling card, they're all but required to build it from scratch and they're going to need to take it to the next level ...something we haven't seen yet. And that will again be what will mobilize ppl to download their technologies and stay loyal to the brand.
Leave the cobranding existing technology (like firefox) to the folks at Yahoo and AOL who are more interested in making a quick buck. ;-)
I'm sure everyone here has known someone who couldn't figure out how to fix their computer or just didn't want to take it to the repairmen so they went out and bought a brand spanking new computer. Lots of below average users do this.
As the coming out of other windows versions have proven, the currently oldest version supported within games/software will no longer be supported. So many people who are currently using Windows 2000 and ME will no longer be able to buy new games/software and use them.
As for average users, they will hear their co-workers talking about it, or they will just buy it so the new games will run better on it. Or just because it looks cool...
It didn't take long for XP to gain 60-65% of users. I'm sure it won't take Longhorn very long either expecially since everyone is waiting to see what is so great about it.
Think: Ad Sense expantion ala Opera.
Regards
G-mail : To compete with Hotmail or MSN mail And Yahoo mail
Froogle: To Compete with shop.msn as well as yahoo shoping
Blogger: For Online free sites to put up your thoughts and give you a voice on the web.
G-Broswer: To compete with all the broswers out there.
What do you think they a doing and leading up to....
They are going to do some like msn did when the released the msn broswer.
All In one!
1) A gbrowser would be to skirt around any firewall adsense blocking - no more adsense blocked by norton etc.
2) A g-os could be as mac-os is to the mac hardware to PC hardware - google have got the OS expertise, just got to hire the GUI specialists.
3) A gbrowser would be able to update itself and kill spyware/adware/viri
Interesting times...
Too bad I don't work for Google because my ideas really rock! ;) Google?
If AdSense was integrated into the browser (ala Opera) and they somehow had it that the publisher would earn the money for the clicks made through the integrated browser when AdSense is also running in the page in question, it could make for some pretty happy publishers. And it could prompt more publishers to sign up for AdSense, particularly if the Google browser gains popularity.
one word: Gooscape
two words: Google Explorer
;) -- Rich
So Google doesn't get to record the date and time, your IP address, the URL of the page you are viewing, and the URL of the referring page then, when you look at a page with adsense content on it?
Of course they do. That must give them a huge daily database of click history, link to link, page to page, site to site.
one word: Gooscape
two words: Google Explorer
What about GOOZILLA? :)
For the classicly inclined, there is always Goozaic.
Or for those perfectly happy with text-based browsing, Goonx.
Or ally with the Norwegians and release Goopera!
-- Rich
