DISQUS

Joe Schmoe · 3 years ago

Wow, the hypocrisy coming out of Google on the browser seach bar issue is amazing. Google has benefitted *hugely* as the default search engine in both the Firefox and Safari browsers. Never have I been prompted to choose a search provider while setting up my browser. It's Google out of the box. And now Microsoft wants to level the playing field a bit by making its *own* search the default on its *own* browser. Well, duh!

Granted Google doesn't control the development of the Firefox and Safari browsers (Or do they, considering their cozy relationship with Mozilla?). But I haven't seen them complaining about their favored status in those browsers.

What this reveals more than anything is just how important those little search boxes are, and the lengths Google will go to try to protect its lead there.

Feh!

Matt Marshall · 3 years ago

Actually, this IE thing may not be as bad as it seems. I downloaded IE 7 beta yesterday, and it defaulted to Google's search (probably because i was already using Google search). And another reader mentioned that if you hadn't been using Google before, and you download IE 7, then Google gives you a link on the top-right hand corner that encourages you to change your settinng on IE 7. Below is a link to a Mercury News piece on some of this, including a mention of how Google enjoys the same default on Firefox (significant, even if Firefox's usage is nowhere as large as IE) and even on some pre-loads on some PCs.

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/business/14479439.htm