The great year of Google Chrome

The case of Google Chrome is a striking example of what was said four years ago: “The browser that aims to be an OS”

I remember in September 2008, I wrote about how Google launched its own browser, when the expectation for dethrone Internet Explorer would seem a madness as thinking now that the iOS will overtake Windows in the next three years. The above graph shows that IE had 71%, Firefox 26% and the rest were kept in the queue with no more than 2%.

30 months later, just a year ago I went to touch the issue again, with the article named Google Chrome 30 months, using my stats I showed how Chrome was positioned by almost 23% while Firefox had reached 29% and Internet Explorer fell precipitously to 44%.

But the past year has shown that I was wrong, although I thought that this browser would overtake both, I did not think it could do this at least in the next 12 months. See how the statistics of the last 30 days make Chrome is at 39%, Internet Explorer in 31% and Firefox in 23%. This indicates that the browser has removed users to both, but also draws attention Safari growth reaching almost 4% in an interesting take off thanks to mobiles positioning.

The more damage is suffered not only by Internet Explorer but also Windows and Office because much of this growth not only obeys the browsing, but the integration of associated services that can now be made from Chrome in simple things like:

Build a Word / Excel document collaboratively. The experience that we carry with GabrielOrtiz and Cartesia in structuring the Z! Spaces model and I must admit it would never have been possible at the old fashion style using Microsoft Word.

This week Google has launched a version for iPad / iPhone, and although it is quite raw surely I’ll use it more than Safari. Not by power but by familiarity, aware that the current faults will be resolved within two weeks. I remember there was a clone for iPad called Chromy, which had to change its name after a Google’s threat by suing –not by making a copy or use their name but by abusing their lack of creativity-.

Perhaps the GoogleDocs’ example I mention is sparse, but sooner or later we’ll realize that times are changing quickly; already we are not so much with an operating system if it can done from the cloud – and a mobile of course-. And while the desktop PC will continue being using and selling, it is forecast that next year will be sell more tablets than PCs. little by little we are getting used to concentrate on this tablet which implied a perishable 12 months agenda, 6 perishable University notebooks in three, e-mail, drawing book, dictionary, the music player, the list of supermarket shopping, camera…

Although I have my discomfort with Google, not only because it can become the next Microsoft but because it may be worse, I must admit that I admire at least four of their products with which I’ve managed to be more productive:

• Google Earth/Maps, which made us think on mapping more everyday
• AdSense, with which Internet advertising became easy
• Google Docs, with easy access to commonly used documents

And of course Chrome, as an example of a product that can win the battle in less than 4 years.