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Firefox Lead Now Working For Google
zmarties writes "In a very
low key announcement on his blog, Ben Goodger, lead developer for
Firefox, has announce that effective from a couple of weeks ago, he has become a Google employee. In practice his day to day job won't change that much, in that he will still lead Firefox through its forthcoming releases, but with Google paying his wages, we can be sure that new and interesting overlap between the Mozilla Foundation's browsers and Google's services are sure to develop."
What functionality from the Google toolbar do you not get with the search box in Firefox? Whatever it is, there's probably an extension to handle it.
Thinkin' Lincoln - a web comic of presidential proportions
Microsoft makes the only competing product for Firefox - them hiring him would be absurdly conspicuous. Google, on the other hand, has a competitor in Microsoft, as does Firefox, and if the IE monopoly stays put, then MSN Search as a default in IE may overtake Google in the same way IE as a default in Windows (and, eventually, Mac) overtook Netscape.
If, however, Google can help make Firefox a heavy player (not that it isn't already), and can also provide to Firefox users more and better integration with Google (should they so choose), then Firefox's growing platform will help Google, and Google's will help Firefox.
"Really?...I'm waiting."
Data agregation. Now you can shut up.
No I do not see anything for Linux or Apple but you are looking at this from a different point of view than most. I think that at some point you will see some of this on Linux but most of the world still uses Windows. So they have to offer there services to the most used platform on the desktop that is used in homes today - Windows.
The problem with Linux is that you still do not have an easy way to install apps for everyday users, I can not see them having a clue about building from source and if you said rpm or deb they would think you are talking about cars etc.
So if you look at it from that point of view then you must be able to understand why google have done what they have done. To tell the truth I would sooner see them build for OSX first before Linux and the reason I say that is there are open source program now for Linux that can do the same thing as the google apps.
"The most dangerous creation of any society is that man who has nothing to lose." - James Baldwin, American author
Do you see any desktop linux users?
Mac OS X and Windows XP working side by side to fight back the night.