Google hijacks Internet Explorer with Chrome Frame
As unbelievable as it may seem, a lot of people are stuck using older versions of Internet Explorer. The reasons for this vary but the main one is that some companies are resisting upgrading. Microsoft has been urging people to upgrade, particularly from the aged IE6, and now Google is doing the same. Only it;s doing so by hijacking it with what it calls Chrome Frame.
There’s juicy competition in the Web browser market at the moment. Microsoft’s Internet Explorer still holds an almost two-thirds share but Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, and a few others are all chasing its tail and slowly catching up.
A big reason, and I think even Microsoft would admit this, for Internet Explorer still dominating is that it’s the default browser on Windows, and Windows is the default operating system for the vast majority of computer users. This fact means that the competing browser developers have to find ingenious ways to persuade IE users to switch.
Google’s solution is called Chrome Frame, which is effectively a browser plug-in compatible with IE6, IE7, and IE8. In essence, Chrome Frame turns these older versions of Internet Explorer into Chrome, or at least gives a user the Chrome experience even though the browser is still Internet Explorer underneath.
Google claims its intentions are pure, with Group Product Manager Mike Smith and Software Engineer Alex Russell, telling TechCrunch “they simply want to make a more seamless web experience for both web users and developers.” Oh, how altruistic and benevolent of you Google.
I’m sure this is part of it, giving both users and developers a chance to work with a newer, friendlier, and secure browser. But there’s also the undeniable fact that this gives current IE users a taste of Chrome. And once tasted, they may never want to go back to Internet Explorer. Because once an alternative is sampled for any length of time, very few go back.
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September 23rd, 2009
Oh gosh. I’m out of step with this article. Considering I use WIN XP I have IE 6 and 7 on my computer.
I have no desire to have Google chrome (read their TOS if you’d like to know why. Firefox simply does not work on my computer.
I dop have two other browsers available and am considering several others just for the heck of it. But NOT the two you seem to recommend.
Oh, BTW: This box I’m typing in does not open all the way to its edges. Thus, if you find any typos it’s the programmers fault, not mine.