Sunday, December 14, 2008

Google dumps Firefox from download bundle, swaps in Chrome


Mozilla's browser now an optional download with Chrome out of beta
Gregg Keizer 15/12/2008 08:15:00

Google Friday replaced Mozilla's Firefox with its own Chrome as the default browser in the English version of Google Pack, the search company's application bundle for Windows.

On Thursday Google dropped the "beta" label from Chrome, the browser it introduced three months ago, and issued the first production version for Windows XP and Vista.

Google Pack is a one-download collection of Google-made and third-party applications that includes Google Desktop, Google Earth, Picasa, Adobe Reader and Norton Security Scan.

Firefox remains on the list, but is not selected for download as part of Google Pack by default. Instead, the box beside it is left unchecked. That's a change from Thursday, according to an earlier version of Google Pack's download page cached by Google itself, which shows Firefox as the bundle's only browser.

Non-English versions of Google Pack, however, continue to offer Firefox, including the German- and French-language editions. Chrome is available in localized versions for about 40 different languages, German and French among them.

Mozilla has had a lucrative relationship with Google over the years. In 2007, for example, 88 percent of Mozilla's revenues , to the tune of about US$60 million, came from its deal with Google. The search company pays Mozilla for assigning it as the default search engine in Firefox, and for click-throughs on ads placed on the ensuing search results pages.

Mozilla renewed the deal with Google in August when the two inked a three-year contract that ends in November 2011.

Thursday, before Google swapped Chrome for Firefox, Mozilla's CEO welcomed the rival to the market.

"It's great to see them get to 1.0 and will mean more choices for users," said Mozilla chief executive John Lilly, in an e-mailed statement. Lilly also took the opportunity to plug his company's own browser. "Firefox 3 use has grown quickly over the last few months and we're excited to release 3.1 early next year ... competition is clearly creating better browsers than ever."

Mozilla did not immediately reply to questions Friday, including whether Lilly's take of Thursday still holds now that Google has dropped Firefox from the default download bundle.

2 comments:

darmik said...

I think that one of the important points that is being missed is that this is one of google,s moves into becoming an closed source OS player.

Unlike firefox (Open Source) Chrome can easily be tied to Googles developer application service, mobile OS, as well any other services that googles wants to become part of their OS stack.

It is interesting to note that Microsoft was once the company that tried and in many ways succeeded in becoming a closed source monopoly for the OS on PC's. Also interesting to note that Microsoft's inclusion of IE with the OS was the ultimate undoing of their empire.


Why do we not seem to be concerned about google's attempts to become a closed source monopoly in this and many other areas ?

Where does all of this leave firefox ?
Maybe they must survive because google needs them to keep the "Do no Evil" illusion alive while they attempt to monopolize another market.

I m also very curious as to where the Open Source community is on this ?

How come there seems to be no voice from Open Source about googles activities ?

yosif said...

Thank you for the comment sir... wel appreciated... keep in touch

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