The search company is newly featured, at center stage, on the default home page of Firefox 1.0, a Web browser based on the Mozilla Foundation's open-source development work and which was made available for free download Tuesday morning. In only two days, an estimated 2.5 million people have downloaded the Web browser, according to Mitchell Baker, president of the nonprofit Mozilla Foundation.
Google's prominence on the browser underscores the foundation's desire to grow Firefox from its early roots in the Web developer community to an audience of Joe and Jane Surfers, who are likely to use search.
"Our entire start page is new, and that reflects our ongoing goal of appealing to the general consumer market," Baker said.
In addition, Google is hosting the Firefox start page because, according to Baker, the company's technical infrastructure is more capable of supporting high volumes of traffic.
Rumors have circulated for months that Google is developing a Web browser, potentially in partnership with Mozilla. And while both sides have denied it, ties still seem to be cinching between the two outfits. In another symbiosis, Mozilla outlined plans this week to work closer with desktop search providers to develop similar capabilities for upcoming versions of Firefox. That could play nicely into Google's recent push into desktop search.
More imminently, their relationship could greatly benefit Google if the Firefox browser were to take off with consumers as some people expect, given the growing discontent with Microsoft's dominant Internet Explorer browser. Google makes the lion's share of its revenue from advertising placements next to search results, and Firefox could help fuel demand for its search engine and advertising.
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- Maybe this is just an asthetic preference...
- ... but I don't like the way Firefox doesn't use the Aqua interface
components. Not only is it inconsistent with the rest of the UI,
but it's also got to cost something to create your own widgets
instead of using the ones provided by the OS. Expect some
behavior differences too.... (Read the rest) - Posted by: Immanuel Tranz-Mischen Posted on: 11/14/04 You are currently: a Guest | Log in | Terms of Use
Looks like the movement towards common sense has begun. (NT)
Vily Clay | 11/11/04
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Because the Google extension
htotten | 11/11/04
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It's ok, but...
gtdworak | 11/11/04
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Now you've gone and done it...Let the FLAMES begin!
Laff | 11/12/04
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Safari vs. Firefox
tic swayback | 11/12/04
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Maybe this is just an asthetic preference...
Immanuel Tranz-Mischen | 11/14/04
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Google Browser is Firefox browser!
anthonycea | 11/12/04
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I had no idea just how powerful the whole FIrefox
Laff | 11/12/04
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Link Doesn't Work Pal...Here Ya Go
itanalyst | 11/12/04
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Thanks much....:)
Laff | 11/12/04
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