The notion that the browser is a critical resource for control of IT is old news. Gates' pushback at Netscape when he realized they were poised to by-pass the OS monopoly he controlled is the seminal case.

The launching of Chrome by Google can be viewed as (1) a reasonable application of resources when you have more than you need and have to keep the organization's people engaged with something, or (2) a sinister assault in pursuit of total domination of, well, everything. Is Google becoming a virtual Borg? I think so.

You guys forget that Google makes some of the best services on the web, Chrome included. They combined the best rendering engine on the market with multi-threaded tabbing. It's a buggy experience, but they've been working hard to fix them, pushing out updates way more frequently than any other provider.

As they continue to stabilize it, Chrome has the potential to be the best browser on the net. I have a hard time calling a group evil for making the best product in its class and releasing it for free. Google does that in nearly every market it competes in.

It seems that Google appeared with chrome just as soon as Firefox dug into the 20% margin of market.
But besides that, their EULA is still extremely questionable ... I think that says it all as to their intentions. I don't differentiate them much from Microsoft at this point.

Okay, I work at Google and this is just my personal opinion, but I'll bite--I think you're wrong. Chrome has already encouraged lots more people (both browser makers and website owners) to pay attention to things like browser speed, overall user experience, and cross-platform/validated HTML code that works on most browsers. From that perspective, the web will continue to get better and faster for all users, not just the Chrome users. More competition in the browser space is good for users and will deliver better browsers as a result.

And of course if you don't like Chrome, it's open-source. You can check on the code that Chrome is running or modify it to your liking. The Chrome team has responded quickly to add a bunch of user requests into the browser already.

Also, the Gmail link that you mentioned doesn't promote Chrome above other browsers. The page in question suggests Firefox 3, Chrome, and the beta of IE8 (in that order). If a Gmail user can get 2x faster JavaScript by using a more modern browser, why not let users know about that?

Who cares ?
Let it roll...
When Google fails to produce innovative solutions for customers they will be displaced by the next underground innovator - just as MS had it's bubble of inevitability popped.
For now - Google continues to provide the innovation driving the industry... when this fails to happen the void will be filled by the next innovator.

Perhaps some upstart who's still yet on the drawing board of some incubator somewhere with some 'ridiculous' un-marketable name like 'GwackenSprookel' ...

... and when this happens we can all write about the once miraculous and now evil 'GwackenSprookel' and that horrible 'strataCloud ad-wallet initiator platform' or something of the same ilk.

"It's all the same - only the names will change"

"Meet the new boss - same as the old boss"

These are the waves in the ocean - they keep coming.
Let's surf!

I second the comment about giving Google credit for releasing an exceedingly capable browser that sets a fire under every browser development team.

In their documentation written upon the release of Chrome they described the need for a stronger, faster browser to support modern web applications. I completely support this motivation. Left to its own devices Microsoft, the browser market leader, seems unable to deliver this caliber of product.

I think the author has totally missed the point. Every individual & company competes. Competition itself does not equal to being evil. It is how you compete.

Google is competing by innovation and providing better service & products, at least for now.

Microsoft competes by using its monopoly to crush competition, and then stifle innovation. IE is the best example.

Google doesn't force the user to do anything. Google focus on innovation and encourage the public to make use of it.

I see no wrong in doing that so far.

Nice4 defense Matt...

But when did Google turn evil? I think when it bought Urchin and started giving it away and crippling a complete internet industry.

Google's primary objective is to get people on the web. If people are not on the web, they cannot use Google's services. Some critics seem to forget that everyone else providing web services benefit as well (Amazon, Facebook, news sites, blogs, ...). ALL the internet boats rise, when this happens.

Re. Chrome, Gears, Native Client, Android. etc.: these components are mostly geared to making the web experience as comparable to the desktop experience as possible. Google has even open sourced them, so that the global community can participate in their development and evolution. That hardly sounds evil to me.

Re. Chrome appearing unexpectedly: Why is that surprising? Microsoft has crushed virtually anyone who has challenged their dominance in the past. I think a little bit of stealth is wise.

Google is providing the necessary vision and leadership to help us move from a desktop-centric world to a net-centric world. This would have never happened with Microsoft.

I am a Google share holder and I find this "Google is evil" stuff completely ridiculous. At worst Google is the manifestation of what Joseph Schumpeter calls "creative destruction" and we are all better off for it! I personally did not expand my own business into the web domain because I had no clue as to how to succeed in that field. Perhaps Yahoo! and Microsoft should follow my companies lead... and for the very same reason! ;)

Come on, guys: (1) Microsoft has an 80%+ market share in browsers, and its Windows OS and Office suite have a 90%+ market share. They have had that for almost two decades. (2) Microsoft is spreading .Net to make rich internet apps and content dependent on Windows and IE. You cannot blame Google for wanting to have its own browser rather than continuing to depend on its greatest rival, a convicted recidivist monopolizer. (3) Contrary to IE, Chrome is open source. Anyone who wants can tweak it. (4) Google innovates, Microsoft imitates. Seriously, all this stuff about Google going evil is just grist on Microsoft's mill. Happy New Year all! I bet you will be using Microsoft's products as much next year as you did this year, since you are all locked in.

I don't think most of world cares if Google is evil or not. we just use it. some people are sooo meta lol.

The problem I have with it is that once installed it keeps "updating" even when the program is not in use. I have shut down the browser but it's pretty suspicious to me that I have to go to Windows Task Manager to effectively shut down the updater. Anybody can no, no, no that is all it's doing but the reality is that Google Chrome is sending basic info about my pc back to them.
Is Google the new "Big Brother" looking over everybodies shoulder...you betch ya.

Pete, the fact is that software which is connected to the internet needs to be kept patched and up-to-date. Webmasters that don't update their WordPress or cPanel installation should expect to get hacked. Likewise, users that don't update their browser or patch their operating system are at serious risk as well.

If you want a version of Chrome that doesn't update, you can certainly do that (check out dev.chromium.org for more info), but you run the risk of getting malicious software because the browser isn't patched. That applies to any web browser that you refuse to update, of course.

In fact, recent versions of Chrome have a dedicated "Privacy" section where you can control Chrome's communications settings in a central, easy-to-manage place.

Google has not become evil to me. Maybe someday, but not yet. Just two brilliant college kids who hired another brilliant guy with a known track record to manage the company with a really good idea to start with and a values that I admire and believe they sincerely subscribe to. My hope is that the new administration's emphasis on high tech connectivity will connect with this well and we'll accomplish great things. But, then I'm an optimist. Not sure what you are. Paranoid?

I undersatnd that. That is a "do no evil" view point made but looking for a simple answer from Google that I do not have. Call them up and ask if and what data are they collecting. Do I need my internet zone alarm going off multiple times in a session when they are "checking"? How many times does Chrome need to check on the same day? I think people should know. DO I WANT TO DOWNLOAD AND INSTALL UPDATES? That's what everone else does. What is Google Chromes intentions? What they built a browser because it was fun to give it free? They are not an operating system like Microsoft that needed to offer a browser...I am passing using it because I never discount the obvious intentions behind any "free" offering...

I'm wondering what your definition of evil is.

There's no doubt Google launched Chrome hoping to gain business because of it. What other reason do they have to do so? Thinking they are in it to simply provide a better experience for the consumer with no other motive is naive. They are a business. They do things that will benefit their business.

If they in some way can bully the corporate Microsoft giant, I'm all for it. Microsoft needs a good run for their money. I wouldn't mind seeing Google partner with Apple to really make it happen. Either that or it would be cool to see Google release a desktop OS.

I don't think you can truly call Google evil at this point. When/if they start making people pay for their free apps, that might be a different story.

Okay, Matt Cutts works for Google and I work for Microsoft, though I do not work in the IE team and sorry any complaints you people have about IE sound like a blackbox to me because I have no connection to the team.

But Matt, when Windows issue some updates, it is always turned off by default and the user needs to explicitly agree to install the update, even for the security atches going on international newspapers for days. There are also some links attached so you know what this update is doing or improving. If you are a security expert, by following the link you can even go further and know everything you want to know. Can Google Chrome updates following something similar and make it more transparent? True, Chrome is open source but that does not mean every Chrome user knows all the source codes behind it.

This is the major blocker for me to turn to Chrome. Before that I think Firefox and IE are enough for my purposes.

Google like Microsoft ? Oh stop it.

1: When Google drags out Federal court-cases for years instead of just admitting blatant anti-competitive behavior…when they flout European Court rulings and get socked with billion dollar fines….and when their CEO rocks back & forth on the witness stand equivocating over the use of simple English. . . THEN you can complain about them becoming more like Microsoft.

Until then – Qwitcherbitchin.

2: And it’s naughty news when Google equates Chrome with “faster Gmail” – like your grocer taping a pint of grapefruit juice to your O.J. to get you to try their product ?

I’m shocked ! Shocked !

And finally…

3: Nobody had to bludgeon me to switch from IE to Chrome.

All it took was 30 minutes playing around with it - and I was hooked.

Rob

As I've said before in these pages, Chrome dispenses with the whole mind-numbing Windows zeitgeist.

Together with Google applications - it pushes the "Windows experience" into the background where I want it - out of sight and out of mind.

The slow performance, endless disk thrasing, nagging prompts, bloated feature-intensive applications, sleep-inducing help screens & system crashes - man - enough already.

After 25 years of hypnotic drowsiness rummaging through the above "features" - I am rediscovering the fun of IT again.

I'm an IT manager at a major middle-eastern bank so no stranger to complexity. But its time for a change in this business - and Google is it.

Even my old Thinkpads are running like sprightly new pc's due to Chrome - fast and smooth browsing.

My time is important to me - and Google lets me go "where I want to go today" by cutting out the bloatware nonsense.

Rob

lolz

Google is evil like the moon is cheese. And, like Rob, just try it. If you aren't hooked then you are a ninety year old grandma who thinks the classical music station is too loud.

Welcome to the new world order.

Google or BUST!!

I just happened across this page when downloading Chrome (first News result for "google chrome"), and as a very basic internet user, these are my thoughts: Chrome is a great resource, and free. Google is also a great resource, also free.

I cannot help but agree that Google looms as a potential harbringer of doom, but only in the sense that they're gaining power... lots and lots of power.

But it isn't power that they haven't earned, and it isn't power they've abused (that I'm aware of). So, not yet evil. And, I reiterate, Chrome is totally sweet.