Are IE Users Really Jumping To Chrome?

from the seems-hard-to-believe dept

Wed, Sep 10th 2008 3:44pm — Mike Masnick

On the day that Google's Chrome browser launched I saw a few reports claiming that it already had jumped to somewhere between 2 and 3% of the market. Those numbers seemed ridiculously high for a first day launch of a new piece of software -- especially in a market where the majority of people still use the browser that came included with their operating system, and have not chosen to download and use an alternative like Firefox. While some more recent stats suggest both lower penetration, and that Chrome got a first day bump that seems to now be going away, another study suggests that most of the Chrome marketshare actually came from Internet Explorer users, rather than Firefox or Opera. In fact, the report found that all of the market share difference came from IE. That seems hard to believe. I would imagine that the folks most likely to download and use Chrome are those who are already comfortable with downloading and using an alternative browser. So, can anyone explain these results?

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Filed Under: browsers, chrome, firefox, internet explorer, marketshare

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Anonymous Coward, 10 Sep 2008 @ 3:48pm

I used it for a week...

Slower than firefox side to side

also adds processes to your startup, and when you manually stop it, it just comes back. VIRUS

I have un-installed it

Keep in mind though, it is in BETA
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- Anonymous Coward, 10 Sep 2008 @ 7:19pm
  
  Re:
  Side by side with FF3, its not that much slower or faster. Unless your on a java intense webpage, its the same as FF3 to me. Faster if you are on a java intense site.
  
  The only "process" it adds when you aren't using Chrome is the Google Updater, which you had if you used any of their other software (including their toolbar).
  
  Oh, but you can change that service to manual or disable it even.
  
  No idea where that first post AC got his info, but that is not what I've experienced.
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Nobody, 10 Sep 2008 @ 3:53pm

I switched from Safari
I was using Safari, but then I tied this. Like Anon said, it's slower, but I do like the extra features it has. I'm hoping the full version will be faster and more reliable.
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Evil Mike, 10 Sep 2008 @ 4:03pm

IE Users = noob (?)
IE users are generally the non-tech savvy crowd... (they apparently don't know how to use Firefox w/Adblock) and there's a link to Chrome right there on Google's vaunted home page. Thus, the IE to Chrome shift is explained.

Also, it will probably be in Beta for the next 5 years... (but then, we all knew that.)
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Sep 2008 @ 4:07pm

On the topic of taking share from IE - given that the launch made many major news sources, quite possibly read by people who didn't realise IE wasn't the only browser - that might have given FF et al something of a boost? Also bear in mind FF in particular has been gaining in market share for quite a while, which potentially mitigates some of any potential loss.
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PaulT (profile), 10 Sep 2008 @ 4:19pm

I used it on the first day, not since though... I'll wait for the non-beta until I upgrade my reaction from "meh, it's got a few nice features".

If the stats are accurate (always doubtful for these things), then they are kind of understandable. There was an insane level of press coverage, in both the mainstream and tech press, and Google is much more of a general audience brand name than Firefox or Opera. Most people use are familiar with the name and are therefore more likely to trust that name than something they hear about on an occasional basis - ideal for getting the people who think "blue e" when they look at the internet. It's not totally stretching the imagination to think that so many people tested it out on first hearing the news.

Whether or not that translates into regular users is another matter though. Hopefully, Microsoft are worried about this, though Mozilla and Opera also shouldn't ignore the actual technical ideas that have debuted in the product.
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Michael, 10 Sep 2008 @ 4:24pm

switching to/from IE 8
I have IE beta 8 ver 2 and there are significant problems. A grey box sits at the top of the IE browser most of time, although I have figured out a way to make it temporarily go away. Additionally, ebay.com does NOT display properly at all with IE beta 8, ver 2. When I use the new Chrome, Ebay works just fine. I use Ebay a lot, so Chrome it is.
However, there is a problem with Chrome in that the Citrix client for accessing my work systems does NOT work using the Chrome browser. I've sent this last comment to Google, but no response from them as yet.
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Michele, 10 Sep 2008 @ 4:32pm

Testing it out
I downloaded Chrome and am pretty much testing it out. I still have IE and have not decided either way. I like some of the features and like some of IE. Since it is Beta, I am curious to see how it evolves, if it evolves. I despise the bookmark system, it is completely disorganized and cumbersome. If it ends up another love/hate relationship, I will stick with IE.
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Never liked IE anyways, 10 Sep 2008 @ 4:32pm

Chrome > IE Hands Down

I still prefer a few features of Firefox, so I still use both however chrome has huge potential!
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Sep 2008 @ 4:38pm

IE 7 is a dog, and Google is a trusted name brand
IE7 is not a great browser. It's UI is not intuitive, either. Google is a trusted name brand now. And don't think people don't know about alternative browsers. Both my father-in-law and mother use Firefox.

As for Chrome, I think it renders pages much more quickly than Firefox - especially pages with lots of JavaScript. The multiple processes (coming in IE8 and Firefox, too) allow the browser to continue running when a bad web-page would have taken down the entire browser. Chrome has the speed of Safari without the horrid Apple UI (Windows version). I didn't think I was going to switch at first but I made Chrome my default browser about 48 hours after downloading it.
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- PaulT (profile), 10 Sep 2008 @ 5:07pm
  
  Re: IE 7 is a dog, and Google is a trusted name brand
  Erm, sorry to criticise but you're saying you weren't prepared to use browsers (Firefox and Opera) that have been around for at least 5 years (over 10 years for Opera) despite thinking IE was shoddy. But you were OK with the *first public beta* of a program because you recognised the brand name?
  
  That's exactly why Microsoft still have such a monopoly on most major PC markets...
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  - Anonymous Coward, 10 Sep 2008 @ 8:55pm
    
    Re: Re: IE 7 is a dog, and Google is a trusted name brand
    No. THe question was why IE users would switch. I switched off of IE long ago (Firefox).
    
    Only use IE for Sharepoint sites since no other browser seems to work with it...hmmm....
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Rick, 10 Sep 2008 @ 4:40pm

I'm a converted IE User
I think the segment of IE users most likely to switch are those of us, like me, who are so incredibly fed up with IE, but are serial procrastinators when it comes to adopting new technology. Thus, while I have always wanted to dump IE and head to Firefox or something else, I never tried to do so. And Google, being ubiquitous, made it oh-so-easy to switch. I personally like Chrome, although its beta-ness shows, and not all of my websites work yet. I'm considering installing Firefox now and waiting for a Chrome improvement - but I'll put that off until later.
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- Anonymous Coward, 10 Sep 2008 @ 9:10pm
  
  Re: I'm a converted IE User
  what are you doing here?
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sicks tea nein, 10 Sep 2008 @ 4:46pm

No mouse gestures, no thanks...
Until Chrome gets mouse gestures to navigate, I can't use it. I've become far too dependent on them.
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wasnt me!, 10 Sep 2008 @ 4:59pm

i used it for about an hour.

everything felt and looked wrong, so i removed it.

then i heard how the omnibox acted like a key logger and realized ill nvr use chrome again.
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- lordmorgul, 11 Sep 2008 @ 9:46am
  
  Re:
  Hahah. A keylogger? Really? How often do you type sensitive information in a URL or SEARCH bar...
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TheMan, 10 Sep 2008 @ 5:06pm

I like IE7
I am an IT pro. Have used Firefox and Safari and I keep going back to IE. I just like it better. I will also try Chrome. I think the people who switch are a little weak, but think they are IT savy. They hear the anti-MS crowd say how everything MS sucks, so they want to switch to something else so they can be the cool kids in the geek crowd. Then the reality hits and IE7 is just better and more convienent so they end up quickly going back.
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- PaulT (profile), 10 Sep 2008 @ 5:11pm
  
  Re: I like IE7
  I've been using Firefox since it was called Phoenix and on version 0.3. I've never had problems with it, but IE had some serious design flaws, and I still resent the fact that it cannot be effectively removed from Windows.
  
  It's not about being "cool" any more than you opinions are trying to be toe the corporate line. If IE is any more "convenient", it's only because it's irrevocably supplied with the OS.
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  - Craig, 10 Sep 2008 @ 6:00pm
    
    Re: Re: I like IE7
    I realize that IE can't be effectively or at least painlessly removed from the OS, but does that really matter? If you simply choose not to use it, does it really have that much of an impact on you?
    
    I'm not trying to be a prick I'm just not knowledgeable (sp?) about IE in Windows and how the OS may be taking a beating because of IE code.
    
    I almost NEVER use IE, but should I care if I can't delete it?
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    - Anonymous Coward, 10 Sep 2008 @ 6:19pm
      
      Re: Re: Re: I like IE7
      If you HAVE to use windows, it is a good idea to shutdown the needless services.
      
      I have used this site as a reference and found it useful
      I am not associated with it in any way.
      http://www.blackviper.com/
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- Otra, 10 Sep 2008 @ 5:12pm
  
  Re: I like IE7
  A lot of people just like firefox better (myself included). I tried firefox, loved the customization it offered over IE, and haven't looked back. I'm trying out chrome right now, and at least for me, it is a ton faster than FF, in both loading pages and starting up. I miss adblock, but its kind of refreshing seeing the pages that have ads that I didn't know about when using FF.
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- CobaltQube, 10 Sep 2008 @ 5:50pm
  
  Re: I like IE7
  Theman.. I am sorry but I have never heard of an IT Pro that didn't try different avenues of products.. Switching isn't weak it's learning how the other app acts and handles so that when asked a ? you can actually be an "IT Pro" and be able to answer it from experience instead of ignorance like most who THINK that they are IT savy.. Just my 2 cents from a real IT person who wants to know how everything IT related works.. A pro is as a pro does.. BTW nice 6 month degree in IT networking from Chubb that you have there theman ;-)
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- BigBento, 11 Sep 2008 @ 3:15am
  
  Re: I like IE7
  Haha, do you work for Microsoft? The reality is that all independent tests show Firefox/Opera/Chrome as being faster and using less memory than IE. Firefox and Opera also have a ton of useful features available that you can't get with IE.
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- Raj, 12 Sep 2008 @ 8:53am
  
  Re: I like IE7
  You're really right, i've tried all three of them but still IE 8 is my main browser. I would say i use 90% IE 5 % firefox and 5% chorme but still i go back to IE most of the time. PS i am also a IT pro i head the IT dept of a decent level company.
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- Anonymous Coward, 14 Sep 2008 @ 7:28pm
  
  Re: I like IE7
  IE 7 isn't bad for general use but for web development it is a hassle. It doesn't render "standardized" HTML half as well as in firefox.
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Sep 2008 @ 5:09pm

I've been unable to find the "stop" button in chrome.
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- Anonymous Coward, 12 Sep 2008 @ 6:27am
  
  Re: Unable to find the
  Do you see the x that is at the far right of the omni box? That, when pressed, stops loading the page. Hope this helps.
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Ese, 10 Sep 2008 @ 5:14pm

Chrome
I have found that Chrome is faster than Firefox. I still use Firefox, but like to use Chrome as my primary browser.
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Sep 2008 @ 5:15pm

Cause its Google
EVERYONE knows google. They use the search engine, they use its webmail, blogger, ads, documents. So they see a new thing and they think I might as well try it out. Chrome might actually be able to steal real market share from IE just because it is google and everyone knows, uses, and trusts google.

PS I'm not commenting on any privacy or antitrust issues google has, is, or will face, just on people's general feeling towards them
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Govy, 10 Sep 2008 @ 5:16pm

It would be interesting to know exactly where the installs were coming from. Specifically, what top level domains. If there's a large number of ".gov" domains it's probably a good indication that government employees realized they could ACTUALLY install something on their hardened workstations with absolutely no admin permissions needed. Firefox, Opera, etc are require you to "run as" with an admin password...Chrome doesn't require a thing.

Let's not forget, too, that everyone and their grandmother do anything that Google says is cool to do.
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cassie, 10 Sep 2008 @ 5:17pm

Converted IE to Firefox User
I didn't bother installing Chrome, because of the reviews it got, but I think it's just because it's GOOGLE chrome. people are pretty reliant on Google these days, and Google's a big company and a lot of IE users use it, so they trusted the Google brand name and downloaded it.
that's my opinion, anyway.
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Sumbuddy Stoopid, 10 Sep 2008 @ 5:18pm

It's not bad... I think.
I used it for half the day today, it's really in beta, crashed when I opened an FTP site with it, but I was openeing the FTP to see if it would and it did on the second try, could have been Winblows... I have Firefox, Safari, IE7, and now Chrome. I just click witchever one I'm in the mood for anymore... If Google steps up and makes this as good as Gmail, it'll be a really good product. Just my opinion, I could be wrong.
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Sep 2008 @ 5:27pm

Chrome is a crappy version of Firerfox
I used Chrome for about 5 minutes. It is almost identical to Firefox, so what is the point? Nothing new was brought to the table at all.
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- lordmorgul, 11 Sep 2008 @ 9:56am
  
  Re: Chrome is a crappy version of Firerfox
  Clearly you weren't listening to the technical details, either in Google's released comic art or any review sites (even this one?). Chrome offers several considerable 'new' changes to browsers: 1) multiple processes for tab rendering/viewing, 2) multiple processes for javascript, isolated from tab rendering, 3) a new memory management style that drastically improves the 'many open tabs' issue, 4) integrated search and address bar. There are more as well.
  
  Its a good addition to the browser wars because it will force the Mozilla camp, opera, and Microsoft, to continue to innovate and improve the features, speed, and standards compliance of their browsers. The better browser will win eventually, and as more and more software moves into cloud computing Microsoft will realize its dominance due to being included in an operating system may come to an end (who will need an operating system? thin browser clients might be enough).
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John, 10 Sep 2008 @ 5:31pm

To me, it makes sense.
Well, there are some good features to Chrome, but it's missing the extendability that Firefox has with it's extensions. While Firefox users are, on average, savvy enough to install and use a new browser, Chrome isn't for them, because it doesn't have the features Firefox users come to expect (like AdBlock).

And Opera itself is a great browser, but it's market share is so small that almost everyone using it is a dedicated Opera fan, because they went out of their way to install a browser that wasn't mainstream, and wasn't getting the attention Firefox gets. However, it's very easy in Opera to change the user agent setting to make the browser appear to be IE, and there's potential that there are Opera users that did that, so website analytics show up that an IE user changed to Chrome, even tho it was an Opera user who changed to Chrome.

And finally, even though a majority of IE users are either a) in a corporate environment where they can't install a new browser, or b) not tech savvy enough to use anything else other than what was pre-installed, there is a percentage of IE users who use it but are smart enough to be able to install a new program, if they want. The reason why they didn't (until Chrome), is because for whatever reason, FF or Opera didn't appeal to them (or Safari for windows for that matter, cause Safari for windows had a lot of problems).

Chrome is lightweight, and little maintance. Firefox, with it's extensions, is very powerful, but not appealing to those who don't want to worry about all that stuff. Firefox and Chrome don't seem to be targeting the same audience (FF is very extendable, while Chrome is lightweight and just works doing it's own stuff very well). So, while FF and Opera have dedicated bases that could change, but won't, IE isn't like that.

Then, there's also the fact it's from Google. If an IE user could switch, would they rather a browser that has the same logo as overstock.com, or one from a big big name that has an amazing online rep (don't get me wrong, I think Opera is great, but Google just has more appeal).

So, to me, it's not that big of a stretch to say IE users were the ones to stick with Chrome, while it's initial bump was mainly from Firefox users testing it out, outa curiosity. Not all IE users are 'n00bs' , but the n00bs are the ones staying with IE, while the tech savvy 1.3% are the ones jumping ship.
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Sep 2008 @ 5:33pm

@15: The go arrow on the right of the omnibar turns into a stop button while a page is loading.

@OP: Chrome taking all its market share from IE is misleading. A possible explanation is that ie lost more share to all browsers but chrome than all non-ie browsers lost to chrome. So if chrome took 1.5% of total share from ie and .5% from firefox, ie also lost ~ .5% to firefox leaving its net share about the same.

Personally I doubt that could have actually happened, but it's an explanation. What I do think happened is that though higher proportion of non-ie users tried out chrome because they're savvy and curious, they were probably drowned out by a smaller proportion of ie's much larger base.
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TX CHL Instructor (profile), 10 Sep 2008 @ 5:41pm

Shiny, but...
I tried it for a few days. Slow and cumbersome. Not quite ready for prime time.

Might try it again after a couple of releases, but for now, Firefox is MUCH easier to use.
--
TX CHL Instructer www.chl-tx.com
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Sep 2008 @ 5:44pm

Chrome reminded me of a pretty ie7...

I'm too hooked on FF add-ons, greasemonkey and noscript are required for me to switch.
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Jonathan Paula, 10 Sep 2008 @ 5:53pm

Anything but Firefox?
As an avid die-hard Firefox fan for the past 4+ years now, I see ABSOLUTELY ZERO reason why anyone with a brain, (or access to stats, and first hand experience) would EVER choose anything but to do their browsing.

Plain-and-simple, with the right addons (Adblock is a big one) - why would anyone choose anything else? ... ESPECIALLY IE.

Seriously though - for the IE users here - do you have a real reason?
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Wetlandman, 10 Sep 2008 @ 5:56pm

FIrefox Users need their add-ons
I tried it out for a bit but I cannot leave all my quirky add-ons. Firefox allows users to customize their experience.
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Sep 2008 @ 6:17pm

Why I switched to Chrome
Because Firefox's more vocal userbase is an insufferable bunch of elitist mouthbreathers who identify personally with the browser they use for lack of anythng else of worth.

I won't use the product for the same reason I'll never own a mac. Mozilla has created a really obnoxious culture around their product.

Anyways, some of the advertised features of Chrome are actually of use to me so I'm trying it out.
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Sep 2008 @ 6:44pm

That would be a negative...
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Jay, 10 Sep 2008 @ 7:01pm

I have found Chrome to be MUCH faster and it has not frozen one time. I love it.
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Sep 2008 @ 7:24pm

Installed it.
Opened a few tabs.
Watched it crash in less than 5 minutes.
Removed it.
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- lordmorgul, 11 Sep 2008 @ 10:01am
  
  Re:
  None of us believe this nonsense.
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Philip (profile), 10 Sep 2008 @ 8:06pm

Love it.
I think a possible explanation might be in the words of a friend of mine: he's an avid Firefox hater. But he installed Chrome and likes it.

I know there are some IE users out there that don't like Firefox and either don't like or unaware of Opera.

Although, it is a bit hard to accept that explanation for a good 2-3% of the user base. It is one possibility.

I was a Firefox user. Now, I like Chrome. Chrome is slower on some sites than Fx. However, it's the memory efficiency I like most. Chrome's memory management for tabs and plugins reminds me of BeOS's memory protection. I like it. And I've definitely seen a different. No more >150mg memory footprint after a day or two of browsing. And run away flash sites are no longer a worry.
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Sol, 10 Sep 2008 @ 8:50pm

To address the question posed...
People like what is familiar, so they probably went back. Google analytics on our site shows chrome slowly making its way up to .83% on September 5th going back down slowly to .47% yesterday. Some, like my wife, stayed, mainly because they don't care.

I installed Chrome a few hours after it came out. Not because I'm a google freak, but because as a Webware Engineer, I have to make sure our website displays correctly in the common browsers, and I was curious how it stacked up.

Personally, I won't use it. As others have mentioned, I'm too hooked on the add-ons, greasemonkey, etc. I can't switch without those.

That said, I was impressed with a few features that I'd like to see ported to Firefox, including the process per tab. I hate loosing all my tabs just because my two tabs of gmail crashed firefox. I also like the tabs-above-everything, the ability to break a tab out as its own window, and the ability to combine two windows into tabs on one window.

I installed chrome on my wife's machine and got my brother to install it on his as well (both non-tech).

My brother uses a lot of flash based sites (youtube, etc), and his response after a few days was that he'll give it a week and if it keeps crashing he's going to go back to IE. I had tried to get him hooked on Firefox and he went back to IE then as well, but this time its sticking longer.

As for my wife, she now uses chrome exclusively. I asked her why and she said she didn't care. It was just there. Chrome can with the apathetic vote. But so can netscape.

So to give an answer for the bump, I bet a lot of techies told their non-tech friends, tech staff mentioned it to office staff, people read about it in news articles or stumbled upon it on their google home page...and people who had tried FF but didn't switch were willing to give chrome a try.
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Sep 2008 @ 9:43pm

Chrome
Used IE for all my browsing.
Never liked Firefox much.
DLed Chrome and love it.
All I want is a simple browser
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Sep 2008 @ 9:46pm

Yes, you should care that IE is part of your system and cannot be removed. That makes it the default browser for all novices, and gives it a huge automatic advantage in market share. This means that Microsoft can thumb their nose at web standards and innovation, because they already own you. It's a real pain in the butt trying to code web pages to be compliant with IE, when everybody else is trying to be standard.
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Mark Regan, 10 Sep 2008 @ 10:17pm

Switch from IE to Chrome
I switched and will NEVER regret it. It is faster and easier to use and not loaded with undisclosed trackers.

Google discloses trackers and users may opt in or out. Microsoft refuses to disclose their Alexa trackers and secretly installs the trackers and shares the information obtained from them with Alexa and their advertisers.

Also, Microsoft has so ingrained the trackers into their Internet Explorer product that it cannot be removed by an unsophisticated user. And the Internet Explorer product is so ingrained into the Microsoft XP Operating System that it cannot be removed without jeopardizing the stability of XP.

Both Microsoft and Alexa refuse to help users remove the secretly installed trackers. Hooray to Google for standing up for users against Microsoft's secrete pillaging software.
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Jim Gaudet (profile), 10 Sep 2008 @ 11:48pm

Google Sold It
I think even though everyone uses IE, they still all have Google.Com as their homepage. The fact that Google marketing this on their front page I think really helped them out.

How many times have you seen Google advertise on the front page? That amazed me. And I think IE users clicked the link and finally gave a new browser a try...

~ Jim
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Verse, 10 Sep 2008 @ 11:53pm

IE
You can't remove IE off the windows platforms because explorer (the file system used within windows) uses the same shell extensions so you would effectively be trying to remove your file system off the machine; you can remove all shortcuts off, but that is why there is no uninstall option.

In what way is it wrong for on OS to offer it's own Browser and set it up as a default, how do you get a browser on a machine if it's a new install (seeing as the average user won't keep install files on backup).

It's not like you simply can't change which is your default, and even turn off the option for IE to look to check if it is the default, I wouldn't remove it even if I could, some pages will ONLY work with IE and yes in that list is OPERA (built off the IE core) sometimes you have no option but to use IE so WHY would you want to remove this program?
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Frank Sz, 11 Sep 2008 @ 12:22am

Browser speed
Hi

I did some experimentation with the speeds of FF/IE/Chrome.

Try going to a page like www.bbc.co.uk (lots of stuff, javascript, images etc). Try first in Chrome, then in IE. You will notice that Chrome is faster, at least if you have a multiprocessor or multicore machine. But...

Then open task manager (Ctrl-Alt-Del->Task Manager), select processes, find iexplore.exe, and change process priority to 'High'. You will see that IE and Chrome are now the same speed.

Regards
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- Anonymous Coward, 11 Sep 2008 @ 2:46am
  
  Re: Browser speed
  Hello Frank CZ,
  
  Thank you for providing kind task-manager assistance. Your knowledge is quite above what we know, and we thank you for all you've provided.
  
  Frank, I remain quite inquisitive of your nationality. Is your real name "Frank", perhaps? Oh don't worry, I won't tell anyone. I just remain curious because there have been times where I swear I smelled curry coming from folks like you and the handset and the guy said his name was Bob. Will you keep my social security number secret? Pinky Swear?
  
  Thank you for all your kind assistance, and we appreciate all your insight to troubleshooting Apple, Err.. I meant Microsoft platform products.
  
  http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/jun2006/gb20060605_273412.htm
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- lordmorgul, 11 Sep 2008 @ 9:58am
  
  Re: Browser speed
  Except... now when IE crashes (and we all know it WILL) your entire operating system will hang and become unresponsive because you no longer can interrupt IE and continue to use your system for anything else...
  
  Great advice (do not miss the sarcasm).
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Not Worried, 11 Sep 2008 @ 2:30am

IE11 in a IE8 world
I am a Firefox user, and won't ever jump to IE8.

I wanted to share a little about working for Microsoft, but the problem at the end of the day is that my penis is too big. "Girthy" is the operative word, I suppose. I won't get into details, but overall let's just say it didn't work out.

Thank you.
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Anonymous Coward, 11 Sep 2008 @ 3:31am

I guess I don't get it. I mean, what doesn't Google have by partnering up with the Firefox project? Apparently there's already an API for suspected attack sites (which queries back to Google) and an API for suspected forgery sites (which queries back to Google).

Based on the original Chrome licensing agreement, YOU own... err, Hmm.

Is it possible that Chrome could have the technical capability to post data back to Google? I mean, they *did* change the licensing agreement, but the software could still perform, uh, dual post to some blackbox somewhere.

That's kinda scary!
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v.dog, 11 Sep 2008 @ 3:36am

Chrome is nice; it's very sleek, stylish, easy to use, and it has the awesome feature of a single bad tab not taking down the entire browser.

However, as a power user, it's just not extensible enough: I can't add extensions, themes, change security settings (e.g. disabling java and javascript)- heck, I can't even change the install path.

Firefox is what I'll use. Chrome is what I'll install for my Mother.

As for IE; it doesn't support web standards properly (make a website properly, and it looks good in every other browser), it uses ActiveX (a security hole), It's tied to your system (another security hole, and you can't get rid of it to improve performance), it's slow, and- I would go on, but those that like it won't listen, and those that'll listen are probably stuck with it (poor them).
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Anonymous Coward, 11 Sep 2008 @ 3:59am

i use firefox exclusively, except for those sites that require IE to work. I downloaded chrome to check it out, but haven't used it since its launch.

Is my download counted as part of chrome's "market share"?

I would also imagine people would try chrome solely for their google accounts. I do a lot with google sites, docs, and calendar, and had initially thought I could use chrome to do those tasks and use firefox for everything else. My question, then, would be how the "market share" math works out if people use both firefox or IE and chrome?
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Anonymous Coward, 11 Sep 2008 @ 4:27am

I use it primarily - LOVE IT
I do web development, so I have to use all browsers to some extent. Up until now, I mainly used safari actually, but its all chrome now. Its just plain faster then ANYTHING else I have found . . . by a big margin as well (also love the incognito function).
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Anonymous Coward, 11 Sep 2008 @ 4:35am

an Agenda?
"So, can anyone explain these results?"

When numbers like this dont make any sense a little digging into where exactly they came from usually clears things up quite a bit.
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Peter Blaise Monahon (profile), 11 Sep 2008 @ 4:45am

I switched to Chrome immediately upon announcement, saw how fast it was, how clean it's interface is, and never looked back.

I crash Chrome at least once a day.

Yes, the whole Chrome thing crashes, not just one tab - but all tabs come back upon reloading, and it's still faster than anything else. It's still impossibly waay better than anything Microsoft offers, and Firefox is waay too complex to setup and maintain (and incompatible between v2 and v3).

I'd rather spend my time productively, not waiting for Microsoft nor configuring Firefox. I like Opera, but Chrome does what I want - let me browse and get out of the way.
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Dave, 11 Sep 2008 @ 6:18am

Form the looks of it...
A lot of people tried it out for a short time due to all the fanfare and then moved back to their old browser.

Let's see how their market share is after a month.
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Kevin, 11 Sep 2008 @ 6:42am

Nothing New
In order of preference:
IE8 beta2
Firefox 3
IE7
Firefox 2
IE6
Chrome

Google has a long way to catch up with IE8 and Firefox.
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- Anonymous Coward, 11 Sep 2008 @ 10:07am
  
  Re: Nothing New
  IE6? Kevin you could have maintained SOME credibility by leaving FF2 and IE6 above Chrome, but you chose not to. Noone with any clue about web standards and software development could possibly agree with you there.
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Mike, 11 Sep 2008 @ 9:12am

Chrome > Fireofx (IE not even in the running)
I see a bunch of comment thats firefox is faster, but I have chrome coming up and loading pages 10X faster than firefox... I like pretty much everything about it now that I'm used to it, as soon as people start making add-ons I think it will take over. I mean its just built smarter, and for multi-core processors its so damned fast! I know alot of Mozilla folks won't move over right away, because there will always be the fanboi syndrome, but I can't say I've ever used a Beta that works as well. IE, well its IE... I still don't trust it, and probably never will.
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Dosquatch, 11 Sep 2008 @ 10:41am

trying it out
I use FF at home, IE at *ork (due to network policies). I've downloaded Chrome at home to play with. It has some interesting features and ideas, and (nevermind what others are saying) it's not appreciably faster or slower than either IE or FF... but it's not developed enough to be a replacement, either. And it seems just amazingly short-sighted to me that the Goog would put this out, even in Beta, without its own toolbar (and Google Bookmarks) being available. I'd have thought they would have built the browser AROUND that.
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Verse, 11 Sep 2008 @ 9:20pm

Firefox to hard to use?
What are you talking about, a basic FF set up is just like any other install, click next untill it's installed and then open up the program, change your home page (three clicks tools, options, use current page) and it's basic functionality is they same as any other browser, how is that too hard, even for a newb ...

I only expect grandmah's who don't know how to turn a PC on not to get that. I'm sure if you've figured out how to post a comment on a news-forum you can handle that.
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Darren, 11 Sep 2008 @ 11:48pm

Internet Explorer - NO Chrome - YES!
I have never liked Internet Explorer. It produces an awful lot of errors, it's pretty slow, even starting the Browser up is slow and it's just nasty to work with.

Google Chrome, now that's an interesting one. It definately does render pages more quickly, and starting the Google Browser, it's quick too. I love the Bookmarks on it, which dropsdown easily, and you can move your faves to folders more easily. Overall, it's clean, fresh and easy to use.

Bad points?

OK, I have been using Google Chrome for about 5 days now and i'm still using it, but here's a small list of the things I have noticed of which I do not like...

1. If using Chrome when trying to list an item on eBay, eBay does not show full options such as Standard view and HTML for description area) for some reason.

2. A selection of sites, such as websites that provide free serial keys to software, Google blocks them and makes you think that they are "offline" or "incorrect URL".

3. Saving pictures using Chrome isn't as good as IE. When asked to save images, I have to keep going through the folders to pick a location to save the file to, and have to do it every time.

That's it...

But in my opinion, Chrome is still far better.

I can't wait until Google starts to bring out "Google Computers"! :D
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Bruce Hoag, PhD, 12 Sep 2008 @ 12:34am

Chrome vs IE
I think there are a couple of reasons why so many people apparently switched. The first, of course, is that curiosity for something new in the web world, and ownloading a new browser is tame stuff - something that anyone can do. The second reason is that spammers and all the other people who make surfing unpleasant haven't targeted the new browser, and so the experience of using it should be better.

Unfortunately, it's still in beta, and so there are bugs. I've installed it, though I use it infrequently. It is a lot slower than IE7. IE7 closes for no reason, which is a nuisance. I had to uninstall Firefox 3.0.1 because after awhile it wouldn't open. I kept getting a "dialogue box" that said it was broken. No kidding. Both Chrome and Opera seemed like logical choices.

At any given time, I will use the browser that gives me the flexibility that I want, works all the time, and is fast. Apart from the annoying crashes, IE7 is still the best one in my opinion.

Dr Bruce Hoag
http://www.p-advantage.com
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Robert, 12 Sep 2008 @ 1:19am

I don't believe it
IE users are less likely to change to anything else... mostly as they are IE users. They use what comes with Windows. If they haven't changed yet, then they are unlikely to do so. Firefox/Opera users are more likely to give it a try so I imagine that they would be a lot more likely to lose market share. I'm not sure where these numbers have come from but our websites (about 80) are all dominated by IE (older generation market) with Firefox and other browsers making up maybe 15% of total market share. Those using IE are not likely to change any time soon... hell most of them are still on IE6!!
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Jimmy Jack, 12 Sep 2008 @ 3:09am

IE to Chrome To Be Expected
Firefox users have already migrated away from IE for two reasons. Of course it is a better product. But they also want an alternative to the Evil Empire. Since Google is the new Evil Empire, and whose brand image is worsening by the minute, it would be very surprising if any of them moved to Chrome. I sure won't.

IE users don't give it a second thought, otherwise they wouldn't be IE users any more. Google = trusted big name. The link is there right in front of them. Easy decision.

The question is this: is Chrome harming Firefox by grabbing IE users before they migrate, or is it helping Firefox by getting IE users off IE for the very first time, and prepping them to move over to the next leading browser platform?
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subske, 12 Sep 2008 @ 3:30am

yet anohter browser to test on
OK, as a web developer, the reason I downloaded Chrome was to have a look at its features and to give it a try. This doesn't mean that I am not still gong to stick to Firefox. The second reason I downloaded it was so that I can test the websites that I build on it to ensure that I reach a maximum audience for my clients websites. There are a few things that I have noticed about Chrome, the browser loads AJAX and JavaScript allot quicker than other browsers making it more efficient when loading Google web applications and many social networking, web 2.0 sites. It does have its benefits. Check my blog for more a write up on Chrome and some of its features.
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bh, 12 Sep 2008 @ 5:37am

I also tried Chrome, and will use it occasionally, but they until they need to fix their "bugs". One of them is, that when I tried to watch news on yahoo video, it would play only commercials and then it would stop playing the news... so I had to go back to FF. But anything else seemed OK to me. So far I haven't found any other problems - it was fairly fast and had couple of interesting features - like it can warn you of a website that has virus if you open one. GOOGLE has this feature also in the search engine and I already came across one or two shady websites - about music - that looked legitimate.
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CD Rates, 12 Sep 2008 @ 6:41am

IE vs. Chrome
I've used IE6 forever. I have IE7 installed on other computers to make sure a site renders correctly. I use Firefox for the same purpose. I've had sites not work in Firefox but work in IE and vice versa.

I haven't even installed Chrome.

Those that don't think Google has bigger plans though are crazy (think integrated Google Docs, spreadsheets, etc). And their "Do No Evil" motto seems to be walking on thinner ice everyday. The release of Chrome also brought a lot of privacy concern complaints.
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MGA, 12 Sep 2008 @ 8:21am

Did you try Chrome?
All happened last week. everybody around me started to ask each other: "did you try google's new browser?". I am pretty sure, everybody who spends his/her most of time on internet, has already downloaded the chrome and tried it once. It doesn't mean that everybody liked it, or Chrome is the 3rd biggest browser. It will take time for people to get used to it, but so far i am happy with my Firefox...
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Raj, 12 Sep 2008 @ 8:46am

IE to Chrome, Back to IE
In the battle for the browsers, both firefox and chorme or for that matter others still remain additional browsers but not primary browsers. I have all three installed (IE8.Firefox.Chrome) and by no means you can call me Non Tec Savy (I am the head of a technical dept of a mid sized company). Self proclaimed Techies can use firefox or still swear by it but still the Real Wordl User Experience that IE offers cannot be matched by these others. It may sound cool to mention that "I use firefox or chorme or else" becuause every A B or C uses IE. But the reality is Internet Explorer still offers the best experience (here i am not talking of pure code rendering etc etc, i am just talking plain experience, see 95% website never care for pure code. So IE still does a very good job and these are just additional browsers...
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Norm, 12 Sep 2008 @ 10:17am

Chrome = No privacy = Evil
Why would anyone who cares a shred about privacy use Chrome???

Everything you type into the Omnibox is sent to and tracked by Google. Why are Chrome fan-boys not concerned that Google now knows when you go to Amazon or where you work or when you look at porn or sports or when you check email or what email service you use or when you buy flowers.

Of course they already log this info for searches, but most sites I go to I don't search for, so Google's picture of my surfing is incomplete.

Google deployed Chrome so they can track you and use this info to pitch ads to you.

Its evil
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Shaun Bennett, 12 Sep 2008 @ 10:47am

Chrome Debate
Tried it on day one.

First thing I noticed was that my CSS menu in a clients site is presented differently in Chrome than it is in Firefox & IE.

Another great example of non-standard standards.

Shaun
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Suman Kundu, 12 Sep 2008 @ 10:48am

Opera User... Chrome - Not such feacher rich
I am a opera science I got the internet connection in my PC. I use Chrome for the first time. I do not prefer IE at all, So Chrome may be an option where Opera fail to render correctly. However, do not like Chrome for regular day to day browsing. Missing feel good factor.

As its a google product, hope the best thing is yet to come. [:)]
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john machamer, 12 Sep 2008 @ 12:13pm

Chrome
I hate Internet Explorer but have had to use it at work. I don't like the add ons or the constant security updates. I downloaded Apple Safari for Windows and like it but it seems slow although I like the private browsing BUT when I seen Google came out with a browser I went for it right away. I love it, It's sleek and very fast and not bloated like IE. I am now trying to move all in my workplace to Chrome but it has issues with javascript links. I think Google is a first class product. Can't wait for the new Google cell phone!
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mwitt, 13 Sep 2008 @ 4:48am

The Alternative Opinion
who cares which browser is faster or slower. Just get bored with all the rhetorics like "IE sucks, only use FF", "Chrome is fast" while another says "Chrome is slower than FF". I got all the browsers installed. I used FF, IE, Opera, Flock and recently Chrome. Even Netscape! Just interchange according to your fancy.
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speedy gonzales, 13 Sep 2008 @ 4:19pm

Great for slower computers
Chrome is now my default browser - and I use it for trusted sites as I'm still wary of the security factor. Originally a FF1/2 user, I has to stop using FF3 as it became too processor heavy, in spite of default skin and sole add-on No Script. So I switched over to IE7, and now Chrome, as it's much faster for me than IE7.

Chrome has efficiently dealt with the speed issue, and my only beef so far is that some internal parts of sites don't function as they should - but then neither do they in IE7, only in heavy FF3.
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dazz simpson, 22 Sep 2008 @ 9:51am

Chrome is great! I have IE for updates (and Ebay checkout - arghhhhh!! )Firefox was getting flaky, Opera freezing and Safari sluggish on some tasks. I know Chrome has issues with occasional forms, but considering how early days it is, its pretty damn good.I use googlemail and google calendar, so guess it figures ;-)
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