Google Chrome enters the browser war

It can look deceivingly simple.

The planet’s search giant launches —yet another— web browser.

Is that supposed to be noteworthy?

Consider that Google has launched the beta version of Chrome, their own flavor of web browser, which is a MS-Windows software set to make browsing the web as pleasant an experience as searching it, using the Google Search web site.

For the average user out there, that’s the kind of argument that will send shockwaves out to Microsoft’s seemingly stagnant Internet Explorer developers who have, in many ways, failed to make their browser significantly more user-friendly. Even in their Beta 8 release. Yikes!

But what’s wrong with Firefox (open source superhero), Opera, Safari or Camino?

Nothing, they’re very functional and serve countless netizens very well, on a daily basis. So why would Google spin their own browser, amid a healthy selection of other quality browsers? Because the -real- target isn’t just the web browsing part, it’s the “operating system” part.

That’s right, folks!

Google has been talking about it for many years and it seems Chrome is the software foundation through which they could eventually take a shot at managing —part or all— of the OS itself.

Now, this is -major- news and if Microsoft wasn’t paying attention about the browser part, they’re definitely tuning in for the OS part because that’s their business’ core bread and butter.

And Google seems to have a plan so the Redmond folks better move quickly or risk missing their window of opportunity to cash in on the next big paradigm shift that could turn the OS foundation upside down as the Mountain View search giant marches on in front of the world open source parade towards another score.

It all seems complex but it’s not.

Google wants to grow and it appears, among other alternatives, leading the browser war to get a software foundation in place for a shot at delivering the very OS that makes PCs work, makes good business sense.

So Google Chrome is available for download and as usual, it’s free!

Firefox is still the open source crowd’s favorite but the browser war just got hotter with the introduction of Google Chrome. These are very interesting times…

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