Could the Google train hurt Firefox?

[DKT27]

Could the Google train hurt Firefox?

Despite all the handwringing about Microsoft's market clout in the European browser war, the real threat to Firefox may be Google, not Microsoft. Even as Microsoft's browser market share deflates to 64.36 percent, Google has upped its game with its increasingly extensible Chrome browser.

Chrome to crash the IE/Firefox party

For those of us who cling to Mozilla Firefox because of its library of excellent add-ons and extensions, suddenly we have another viable, open-source choice.

Internet Explorer remains a viable threat to Firefox due to Microsoft's heft in operating systems, which helps to create enough inertia that most Windows users who start with IE simply never discover that they have browser alternatives.

But while IE plays catch-up to Firefox in sheer extendability and third-party innovation, the real contender could well be Google Chrome, which marries open source with a strong developer/extension story and bests just about everyone in performance.

I love Firefox, but mostly because I love the third-party innovation that Firefox enables. Add-ons like ForecastFox (in-browser weather updates), AdBlock Plus (blocking ads), and so on make my browsing experience awesome.

Such add-ons, however, tax the resources of my MacBook Pro. Considerably.

As I type this, I have 15 tabs open and have 22 add-ons installed. As a result, Firefox is eating up roughly 30 percent of my CPU, even beating resource hog Java.

That's a lot of juice to power my browser, even when considering that most of my work is done within the browser (from common browsing to Zimbra e-mail to Google search to...you name it).

According to TechCrunch, development of add-ons for Google Chrome is much easier than it is for Firefox, and those add-ons apparently no longer constrain Chrome's performance in the same way that Firefox add-ons do for Firefox.

If true, then Mozilla needs to be doing a lot more than simply opening up a Firefox add-on marketplace in 2010, as The Register reports it will. Instead, Firefox should be heads down on improving browser performance.

A marketplace makes sense for enriching the Firefox developer community and, hopefully, diversifying Mozilla's revenue sources so that it's not so heavily dependent on Google.

But given that Google Chrome's improved extensibility is aiming squarely at Firefox, Mozilla has more than a monetary problem. It has a serious competitive threat looming, one that will only be won by significantly improving performance while maintaining its excellent track record with developers.

I'm confident that the Firefox team can do it. I'm equally confident that it must. Yes, Mozilla marshals a more diverse and robust open-source community around Firefox than Google does for Chrome. But users arguably won't care.

The Google train is coming, and it's not going to stop...not even for a longtime ally like Firefox.

Source - CNET

[karachidude]

The Google train is coming, and it's not going to stop...not even for a longtime ally like Firefox.

8)

[nooooooooo]

Chrome never appealed to me. Nor did it's "automatically install any updates it wants whenever" policy or sparse amount of default options. Plus it has some tracking built into it. SRWare Iron if you must use it.

[Night Owl]

According to TechCrunch, development of add-ons for Google Chrome is much easier than it is for Firefox, and those add-ons apparently no longer constrain Chrome's performance in the same way that Firefox add-ons do for Firefox.

Hmmm, maybe this will mean that extensions will get more and more popular for Google Chrome and SRWare Iron.

[DKT27]

Yes. Well I'm knowin about this makin extensions is easy thingy from some time now.

I'll see if the developers who had made great FF addons like SkipScreen, Adblock +, MR Tech Toolkit, etc. Swich their attention to Chrome. The day they do so, that's the day I'm on Chrome.

[Bizarre™]

I think Mozilla will just dismiss the matter.

After all, Google is their benefactor.

[HX1]

I honestly think all we are waiting for is 3.6 maybe even 4 from Mozilla.. I mean Google and several others came from out of nowhere almost.. and I will say from experience.. that there will always be a snag.. for everyone.. The problem I see with FF.. right now.. is that its attention and focus has been in other areas.. and seems to have lost speed trying to develop in so many different ways.. which is fine.. I mean there are quite a few very talented developer.. each one has their own area of expertise.. BUT.. I think Mozilla is also steadily making and paving the road ahead for what would be called Web 3.0.. HTML 5( which isn't even finished yet ) and several other areas which have been taken into consideration as they move forward.. While they may not be #1 right now.. or slipping behind.. they may be the first one to the finish line.. when it comes down to it..

I dunno I have faith n Mozilla addressing the issues and focusing.. We all can't just snap our fingers and be there.. and those of us who almost can can't do it with everything in hand.. SO I dunno I will stop yammering in riddles.. BUT I think what I am trying to say is clear.. I just hope the next releases live up to the hype.. generated..