Pixelbox

So yes, this is yet another post on Chrome the new browser from Google. However I am going to leave the UI and performance etc to the other million posts and focus on the strategy behind it!

Firstly Google clearly have a brand advantage of creating a browser, by using Google to view the web you are constantly reminded of… well Google. It seems so strange it took them so long, especially when you look at Google Desktop, which is a far more complicated and niche product. I often here people to referring to Internet Explorer as, “The Internet”, so it will be interesting if this will change things! The browser has also been in the press a lot, even popping up in the London commuter papers as spread reviews.

I think the second goal for Google was to create a platform that improves their online “applications”, even though I will expect them to support older browsers, I also expect we will see Chrome only features very soon. Plus you know they will run faster on Chrome, and in support questions Google will suggest using Chrome etc etc.

This kind of leads into another area, which the implementation of gears hints to. Microsoft and Adobe are both promoting cross platform runtimes for web type applications (RIAs). These are both extensions of their plugin runtimes, which can be written in HTML and JavaScript as well as native languages. However Google’s approach is to remove this compiled “complicated” stage and instead support an already existing web app by offering Google Gears caching support, to plain old HTML and JavaScript. I am yet to fully understand the features and abilities of Gears, but I am convinced this is where it’s going.

This is highlighted by the fact all sites run in their own instance of the browser, making them akin to applications. You can also create links on your desktop to like an application shortcut. This is along he same lines as Fluid or other SSBs which I love for Google’s web apps. I am unsure though if people will see an app like Gmail as a replacement for a desktop client, unless Google release a pre set up instance of Chrome.