Yes, I’m trying out Google Chrome

Like every other web-using nerd, I’m trying out Google Chrome today.

So far, it seems pretty cool—it’s fast, simple, and I have yet to run into any errors or broken web sites. I had some problems installing it, but that turned out to be an issue with Symantec Endpoint Protection, not Chrome.

My main gripe after a few hours of usage is the lack of extensions/plugins, specifically my trusty Firefox AdBlockPlus extension. Given that Google’s primary source of income is advertising, though, it does not surprise me that they wouldn’t be eager to allow users to block inline advertisements.

There’s been a good deal of chatter around the web regarding the manner in which Chrome’s release will shake up the browser market. Conventional wisdom seems to be that Google is taking a shot at Internet Explorer. However, should Chrome become a hit, I’m guessing the big loser will be other alternative browsers.

Typically, web users are divided up based on the browser that they use. In this case, I’d say the better way to look at the situation is to consider that users fall into two general categories: people who are liking to install/try alternate browsers, and those who are content (for whatever reasons) using the browser that came with their computer. IE’s continued dominance of the browser market is based squarely upon the second category, and those people aren’t going to suddenly start switching over to Google Chrome, no matter how awesome, secure, or feature-rich it might be. The same goes for Safari users on the Mac side of the aisle.

No, it’s the first category of web/computer users who will likely install and use Chrome, and those are the same people already using Firefox and Opera. As a result, success for Google in the browser market will likely come at the expense of those other browsers, not IE and Safari. The other possibility is that people using Firefox and Opera are used to having a full-featured, extendable browser. If that’s the case, the initial appeal of Chrome may quickly wear off.