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Google-branded Firefox?

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the seems-pretty-likely dept.

arpy writes "An article on Mozillanews.org is reporting on Google's registration of the domain GBrowser.com (nothing to look at there yet). The article provides a summary of rumours that Google will release a branded version of Mozilla Firefox (along with some interesting speculation)."

8 of 355 comments (clear)

  1. The next logical step by SIGALRM · · Score: 5, Interesting
    There's also a lot of 'covert' code going into the tree without individual bug references
    It's interesting that Mozilla developers would check in code for Google employees (if this is, in fact, what's really happening). Why would Google need to keep a "low profile" in all this?

    Anyway, I sorta saw it coming. Google is investing heavily in JavaScript-powered desktop-like web apps like Gmail and Blogger. Google could then use their expertise to build Mozilla apps. It'll be interesting to see whether this happens or not.
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    Sigs cause cancer.
  2. Not just a browser by Swamii · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Why have an OS when you could use Google's servers to send and receive email (GMail), navigate the web (GBrowser), search the web (Google.com) store your files (GMail Drive utility), and search your hard drive (Google Desktop utility)? What next, Google IM?

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    Tech, life, family, faith: Give me a visit
    1. Re:Not just a browser by PalmerEldritch42 · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Wow- I could imagine a bootable Knoppix-like CD branded by Google. You could stick the CD into any computer connected to the internet and regardless of OS, country, language, etc, it would come up with a login screen. That login screen brings you to your desktop with all of your settings (stored on Google's server) with access to your gmail, browser, blog, files stored on the GmailFS, Google IM, Google Office Suite, etc...

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      Ceci n'est pas une sig.

      :wq!

  3. Only be a good think by barcodez · · Score: 5, Interesting

    If this gets Firefox on more desktops, replacing IE it can only be a good thing for standards compliance, competition and the decline of the IE monoculture.

    I'm still strugling to think why they would want to do this, perhaps that have some cool XUL applications in the offering.

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  4. And? by thesandtiger · · Score: 5, Interesting
    I worked for a company that registered every single one of about 2000 variants we could think of for the domain name.

    One of those domains was "(companyname)lovesjesus".

    I wish I were kidding.

    Anyway, it only makes sense for Google to do the same.

    I will, however say that I would gladly give up the left nuts of all those within 100 miles of me for a version of FireFox that had what this Google Fangirl thinks would be the Alpha and Omega of browsers.

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    Since I can't tell them apart, I treat all ACs as the same person.
  5. Not a good thing by onion2k · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Introducing secrecy into the coding group is a bad thing whatever the project, but working on something on the scale of Firefox without knowing where the project is headed? Thats a receipe for disaster.. One of the good things about Firefox has been the transparency with which the developers have worked so far. Its easy to know whats going on.

    Whats more, there are one or two of us out here that don't want a myriad of features specifically oriented to one corporation. I'd be more than happy with Google producing a line of Google plugins and extensions, but coding them into the browser itself? That sort of thing leads to code forks... and thats not a good thing for the Firefox project on the whole.

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    http://twitter.com/onion2k
  6. An interesting sidenote... by thanasakis · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Yesterday I was reading an interview from Joel Spolsky (You probably know him from Joel on software) and I found the following quote interesting:

    In my ("How Microsoft Lost the API War") essay, I quoted a Microsoft guy (and Longhorn Avalon team member) named Joe Beda. I quoted him saying "Microsoft is making a big bet on the rich client." And now he works at Google with Adam Bosworth. I'm sure what they're doing is a new browser. It's the IE (Internet Explorer) team reconstructed inside Google.

  7. It would make perfect sense and it would kill IE by theolein · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I can believe this, and I can perfectly understand Google wanting to hide the fact that their employees are working on this. For one a Google Mozilla based Browser with GMail, GoogleGroups, Blogger, GoogleIM, Google search for the web and your desktop all integrated would rush up the marketshare of Mozilla in huge numbers because Google is known far beyond the tech world. It would be a direct competitor to MSN, and a much better one at that.

    It would make IE unused and unwanted by the masses and it would run on any and every platform that Google runs on.

    The fact that Google has to time this right should be obvious: If it becomes public knowledge too soon, Microsoft will do it's usual embrace and extend routine to make IE the most modern, full featured browser out there.

    But I think Google is absolutely right to do this. Microsoft has already acknowledged Google as a competitor, especially in search services with MSN, and to Microsoft nothing is holy in chasing and killing a competitor. This means that it would not be beneath MS to do it's utmost in both FUD and technical underhandedness to stop Google working on PCs with Windows.

    Google's best chance is to attack by moving forward with a platform that integrates many popular web features in order to get the public to move over to Mozilla. Once and if their marketshare is high enough it will prove very very difficult for MS to unseat them, especially if they don't have the majority borwser anymore. This is not 1995 and Microsoft couldn't threaten PC manufacturers with withholding Windows OEM.