97% of Chrome users have the latest version of browser

...compared to 85% for Firefox and 53% for Safari.

[nealrodriguez]

Google Chrome Has the Most Effective Updater [googlesystem.blogspot.com]

"Google Chrome checks for updates every five hours. It is using the recently open sourced Google update component code-named Omaha, which keeps polling for updates even when Google Chrome is not running. (...) Once a new update is found to be available on the server, the client automatically downloads and installs it in the background without prompting the user.

[tedster]

That's a really invasive process. If something goes wrong (and **it happens to every application sometime or other) the end user can be without a clue. Also, I see no way to opt out of this "service" - a very heavy handed sense of entitlement on the part of the Chrome team.

I don't trust ANY software provider this much. It's enough to make me uninstall the Google Chrome browser.

<added>
I just registered that this same criticism is represented toward the end of the blog post. I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who feels this way.

[engine]

For the record, the file is googleupdate.exe and it is quite active checking for updates.

Even if you remove Chrome the file remains.

You see it in your running processes.

[g1smd]

I set things so that most updaters and my infrequently used programs have to ask me for firewall permissions to do their thing. Google updater is vociferous, invasive, and persistent. That crown used to belong to anything Real, Apple or Adobe, but this now puts all of them in the shade.

[swa66]

Hmm, how many of the IE users are on the latest version ?
With all those even running a major release or two behind I'd but it's in the single digits.

Chosing between an auto updating browsers and the freak horror show of legacy browsers like IE6 and IE7's bugs -features as none seems to ever get fixed- (unless it's a security hole or a patent infringement Microsoft doesn't want to pay up for-). I think it's easy enough to go for the aggressive updating.

Also those complaining: complain to Google, it's a beta release they probably are collecting feedback at certain spots, but I hope they manage to keep everybody updated.

[tedster]

Google Chrome Feedback [google.com] - it's a good idea to let them know, whether you like the update function or take issue with it.

[steve]

97% of Chrome users have the latest version... not if they work in a corporate environment and the IT dept. has banned Chrome because it's updates are considered a risk. IMO its the main reason so many users are still using IE6 and 7.

This type of updating may be acceptable to home users, but I can't see many big businesses allowing it.

[piatkow]

Still on IE6 at work (major UK plc).

I thought about trying Chrome at home but found the comments about the auto updates far too scary.

[tangor]

What does 97% updates of about 1% browser users really mean?

Just looking at it from the outside.

[brodyh]

I think Google may be too used to being able to update their websites without permission, maybe it thinks it should do the same with its browser?

Also, I most generally disable apps that try to update things automatically. They're annoying and chew up precious memory/CPU and even bandwidth at times. But that's only on Windows (I'm on a Mac). Unless it's a unified updater like Apple Updater (not the one for Windows) or a package management system on Linux I disable it. I like the way Mac OS X handles it.. when you open a new program it will ask if you want OS X to check for updates, and OS X will do so when you open that program. Very non-invasive.