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Google Chrome is a minimalist browser that challenges Microsoft’s Internet Explorer. It offers unique features such as a tab page with thumbnails of frequently visited sites and the ability to block problematic tabs. The browser is free and borrows ideas from open-source software like Apple’s WebKit and Mozilla’s Firefox. Speed, responsiveness, and stability are key selling points for competing browsers.
Google Chrome, an Internet browser designed by Google, Inc., is one of the more recent additions to the competitive Internet browsing market. For years, the Internet browser software genre has been dominated by Microsoft with its flagship Internet Explorer. However, since 2000, more Internet browsers have appeared on the market for free, challenging Microsoft’s dominance.
Google Chrome takes a minimalistic approach when browsing the Internet. The browser is very simplistic in its looks, but that’s by design. According to the website for the browser, “Like the classic Google Home, Google Chrome is clean and fast. It takes you out of the way and takes you where you want to go.”
However, Chrome is among the first to offer a number of different features. For example, while tabbed browsing has been added to nearly every browser, Chrome takes it a step further. Instead of just opening a blank page, the browser opens a page with thumbnails of the user’s most visited sites. This allows the user to quickly navigate to the desired pages.
While Chrome’s design may be somewhat simplistic, the company believes the overall product is on the cutting edge of technology. For example, if a website causes a conflict within a browser, the browser often crashes and the entire browsing session needs to be restarted. Google Chrome allows you to block just that tab, while the other tabs continue to function normally.
In designing Chrome, the designers borrowed a number of ideas from other open source software. In particular, they give credit to Apple’s WebKit and Mozilla’s Firefox. One such feature is visible in the URL bar, which serves both traditional function and as a search bar. Firefox has an intuitive search bar where users shouldn’t have to type, for example, “www.google.com”, they could just type “google” and the correct web page will be displayed.
To compete with Internet Explorer, web browsers must continually offer a list of new features that set the browser apart. Google Chrome and others often tout speed and responsiveness as a big deal, directly targeting one of Internet Explorer’s biggest points of criticism. Stability is another key that some competing browsers often mention.
Also, as with most browsers that are genuinely interested in competing for market share with Internet Explorer, the software is free to download and use. This is almost a must with any Internet browser simply because Internet Explorer is always included with a Windows operating system. Therefore, users have very little incentive to purchase a different product. In many cases, standalone products make enough of a sale by simply getting users to download the free product.
