Comments on: Chrome could get Firefox-like extensions by May

Google is adding extensions to its Web browser such that it becomes more like Mozilla's Firefox, putting Microsoft's Internet Explorer in a position to lose more market share.

[mistersizzle]

In contrast to Safari, Chrome really does a great job with using WebKit. While I do like the minimalistic approach of Chrome it cannot pose itself as a primary browser for many in the developer community who rely on tools such as Firebug. If it opens itself up to the developer community and allows plugin development, I'm sure in time it will not only eat at IE's market share but also Firefox's. Heck who cares as long as IE goes away many will be much happier!

[alex-cnet]

What would really kill IE is when Google starts making deals with OEMs to preload Chrome. They have the power to do it, and Im sure they will soon.

[beej90]

That's a good point.

[becton22]

The greatest obstacle I see for the uptake of Chrome is worrying what google will be doing to compromise my privacy! I am truly happy with firefox, and safari gets the job done in a fantastically minimalist way. With either I don't worry about my privacy being breached by their creator.

[mjconver]

No Adblock == no Chrome

[Get_Bent]

I'll second that. Until I can get something like Adblock Plus for Chrome, I won't use the browser. I've gotten used to surfing the 'net without all the "noise".

[t8]

You not using Chrome == Doesn't matter.

[BlitzBoy1120]

same, im just waiting for an ad block, but i still use chrome almost as much as firefox

[codynews]

I used and liked chrome a lot. Way better than IE and FF (which I put in the same bucket as their both big, fat, and ugly).

I quite using google products (including Chrome, and google.com as a serach site. Haven't gotten away from gmail yet) due to Google's very left wing political advocacy however I still think Chrome is the best.

I think them going the way of FF with extensions would be a terrible idea as Chrome would end up being the same big ugly mess than FF is. Sure you could just not install a plugin but I worry that by supporting them google will rely on ext makers to do 'must have' things rather than improving the browser.

Keep Chrome lean and mean in the event that Google stops being a wing of the democrat party and I decide to give google products another shot :)

[codynews]

yikes. Can I edit my comment? I have like 100 grammar errors :)

[calculatorwatch]

Google isn't a left wing advocacy group, all the policies they support are things that are either good for them as a company or good for their employees (and they claim a lot of things they support are good for their customers but I haven't seen any of those things that aren't really just good for them)

That's like calling basically every corporation right wing because they all support tax cuts for corporations :P

[dream_fly]

What's his base for saying "But the real loser here is likely to be Microsoft's Internet Explorer"? Haven't he seen Linux didn't kill MS but rather Sun? It's more likely Chrome will kill FF than IE.

[t8]

Problem is IE has been losing market share for some time.
Another great browser will surely only help this further along.

[Drazhna]

I switched to Chrome based soley on the fact that Firefox was behaving bloatedly on my computer, more specifically FF3, previous versions throughly enjoyable.

Chrome is minimalistic, yet on the other hand, could use a little more versatility in the look.

I agree about Google's affiliations with you Cody, and the privacy issues Becton mentions.

It's the devil you know and the devil you've used before with browsers these days.

[codynews]

Yeah. I'm back to IE because I think it's slightly better than firefox and I just can't support google for the reasons mentioned.

[kelmon]

Surely Chrome is more likely to take market share from Firefox than it is Internet Explorer, assuming that Google is not able to get OEMs to install its browser on new PCs. If a user is prepared to switch from IE then currently the natural choice is Firefox but now they might switch to Chrome. I honestly don't see Chrome being the catalyst to switch, with or without extensions.

[hawkeyeaz1]

If the plugins are sandboxed as the pages are, slow plugins could be reported to be corrected. The plugins need to be sandboxed already for security...

[RobWLA]

I'm no browser expert - but you'd think that if Chrome can have optional "lab" features which are easy to turn on and off - they could do the same with extensions - without the bloat.

I love the clean - stripped down look of Chrome. If I wanted a bunch of extensions I'd probably go FF - but I just don't need that many.

I use Chrome at the end of a long day working in IT - simply because I can't tolerate anymore bloat. I do bloatware at work 40+ hrs a week - and just don't want to see it at home. So now I'm "Chrome alone".

Hopefully Google will further enhance its privacy settings - I'm pleased that they've at least made them accessible and adjustable. Now for just a bit more of a commitment to do more of the same and I'd be happy.

As for Microsoft - Let's hope Chrome is just a front for Google's new "Cyclops" operating system - now breathing on its own at Google's volcano island laboratory in the Caribbean.

That the ink on their new "Spetznaz" chip architecture cross-licensing agreement with Intel would be dry by the time I write this.

And that the recent friend-of-the-court brief disclosing that Windows, IE and MS Office violate 21,463 patents owned by the Church of Scientology is just the beginning of a long, hot summer.

Rob

[The User]

Users should consider segregation of information collection. Giving too much to one company, especially notoriously bad one when it comes to privacy, is not very wise. For that reason, I'll test Google's product, but will never use them or even permit them on the production machines.

[mightymini]

I hope that they don't start doing extensions like FF. That's the whole reason why I use Chrome instead because of the simplistic nature of a browser. All those extensions can be found by going to the web page and looking at it. The leanness in its coding makes it a faster browser. I do worry that Google or somebody out there is tracking and watching what I do. Even that bar above my inbox when reading my mail shows links and ads similar in nature to the email i'm reading. That is very disturbing.

[tcr071]

It is amazing what a browser company can do when the focus is on improving the product as opposed to suing the competition. *cough* Opera CEO *cough*

[Major Kirtar]

Complaint != lawsuit

[trevor_tj_88]

I couldn't hope any more for the use of extensions with Google Chrome. Right now, Google Chrome is the most "agile" browser. Yes, Mozilla Minefield may have more raw speed but Google Chrome has a snappy start up time, which is very nice. It also has a smooth and stream-lined appearance which isn't very intruding in the browser. It also has other nice bits that make it a breeze and enjoyable to use. When I'm at school and have to use IE 7 it seems so clunky although IE is what I've used throughout my childhood. I've heard good things about the new IE, I'll have to try that out pretty soon.