Stephan Spencer at CNET writes a speculative post on Google’s browsers plans. Google hasn’t said much on the subject in over a year, when CEO Eric Schmidt sidestepped the question by answering “We would only do so…if we thought there was a real user benefit.”
People often point to the cozy relationship between Google and Firefox when talking about Google’s browser plans. But Google also invested in the Maxthon browser earlier this year. It was a very small investment - just $1 million. But there were rumors of a much larger strategic deal between the companies, too. Neither side has officially acknowledged the investment or the strategic deal to date.
Maxthon is little known in the U.S. Half of its downloads occur in China, though, and it is a big player there. Whether Google’s strategic plans for Maxthon extend beyond China is anyone’s guess.
A lot of this would be cleared up if Google (or Maxthon) made an announcement on the subject. But what we want has little to do with what’s best for Google’s business. If they do launch a browser, and/or acquire Maxthon, we almost certainly won’t hear about it until it actually happens.
Maybe we’ll see a “Gbrowser” by the end of the year.
I dunno… they are already greatly vested with Firefox (paying 1$ per install)
If google builds a browser that might be the straw that breaks the camel’s back in terms of user blow-back.
doing shady deals with China and realizing “hey! all that money we pay to firefox each year - if we made the browser ourselves, we wouldn’t need to do that!” is off-putting, to me anyway.
then they’ll be like “hey if we made our own OS, we could package our browser with it!” and then “hey if we built the computer, we could ship our OS with it!” - and then it’s deja vu all over again.
Or better yet: buy out Netscape, branch off Firefox, and relaunch as Google Netscape that ties with Google Apps? Thrown in GreenBorder tech and resume subverting the clutches of Microsoft. Oh, put in integration for Gphone OS (no way in hell are they making consumer devices and especially a phone) so that I can finally link up Gcal and Gmail via Gnetscape.
They should just let me run Google.
It’d probably be smart, but maybe they’d rather do it in China than here. It seems like they’re on the verge of some negative backlash if they move into more areas. I think more competition would be great for everyone, we’ll see where it goes.
Ehm, sorry. What’s the point of this post? I guess AVG post per days was going down so something just had to be published…
I doubt they will move away from Firefox. Having a browser with obvious Google branding would be a bad move on their part and they are smarter than that. They already have a great tie-in with Firefox and with Microsoft using IE to drive live.com searches, Yahoo is left out in the cold with no body to feed them traffic.
Look at it from another perspective: paying Firefox $1 per install is nothing for the value Google generates. While one can change out of Google being the default search engine in the search box, 95%+ of users will never do this.
Let’s say that in reality, Google ends up paying $2 per install.
1. $200 per 100 installs
2. Of 100 installs, 95 keep Google as their default search engine
3. Of the 95 installs, 40 actually use the search box in the browser
4. 40 users perform on average one search per day
= 1200 searches per month
5. 5% of searches result in a click on a paid placement
6. Average value per click is $0.50
7. Average value per search is therefore $0.025
8. Average value per month of 1200 searches = $30
9. Average value over 1 year of those 100 installs = $360
Even on that basis, it’s a great investment for Google. That being said, the are probably paying about $1 per install and users really do more searches than I assumed meaning the economics are even better.
By the way: Google didn’t by Macthon shares - http://ya.iyee.cn/2007/04/maxt.....n-our.html
Im a huge fan of all the google products…and am also a hardcore Firefox user. I am confident that if google came out with the “GBrowser” it would have an interface that integrated all of their products in one place. My major concern would be how much websites would have to tweak their code to accommodate this new player.
Allen Vartazarian
Famesource.com - Claim your fame!
http://www.famesource.com/?r=11
Josh - yes they did.
Michael,
I am surprised you still haven’t covered the news about one of your favorites:
Court acquits allofmp3.com site
Owner of music download site allofmp3.com not guilty of breaching copyright
It seems to me that Google is not interested the Browser wars;rather they are more interested in having access to the China market.
However, if their GBrowser is a innovative as their other products specifically Google Search and Gmail, their they browser will change the way we surf the web (maybe in web 3.0 ? ).
that would be a huge blow to Firefox — more than it would hurt IE.
So this would be a significant strategic shift for Google.
but would make sense –
a Google browser, pumping out google content with a youtube and picasa media bar secured by Postini
my prayers are with Flock and Opera
Michael,
I think Maxthon is IE based browser, just a overlay like Flock on Firefox. Just to let you know about ’so called’ potential acquisition.
Flock is a hell of a lot more than an overlay. I’d call it an over haul. Mediabar, web clipboard, and search flyout. OH my! They keep up their pace and the web of tomorrow is beautiful new beast.
What do you guys think if they actually bought out Firefox? Do many of you think that it’s not a possibility?
Google, Inc already bought the domain name in 2004, but didn’t do much with it. Maybe that will change soon.
GBrowser.com Registrant:
Google Inc.
1600 Amphitheatre Parkway
Mountain View CA 94043
US
http://www.whois.org/whois_new.....mp;tld=com
I like your value estimate TechDumpster, maybe a bit overstating the number, but it clearly shows that there a huge ROI for deals like that.
If they were smart they would buy opera. Easily the best browser out there.
I don’t really see a value add in Google coming out with their own browser unless it adds a significant functionality that other browsers can’t provide.
An example would be for Google to partner with or buy out Kirix Strata, which is a new specialty data browser that’s just been released to public beta, so that anyone can do major analysis on all sorts of data found on websites and all sorts of data about websites that Google already has.
Attention: Request info…
I watch pirates at silicon valley at Youtube — where bill gates meet steve jobs at convention center. Steve ignore bill.
After the show. I went to this site. Oh no… Does anyone know what college did Maxthon Founder go to?
If he went to college in NY. I swear I want to compete and kick his butt for mocking me. I want to launch my startup company. I was his friend once in computer class back in 01′. I was talking about confidential startup & internet browser. I want to know if was him. I might make Browser for Facebook.
What college did James Chen go to please me know?
I really don’t see the point in them entering the market. If they did wouldn’t it t open themselves up to anti competitive laws?
Big in software.
Big in hardware.
Make your own browser.
Invest in streaming media.
Seems like everyone will hate you unless you do all that and name your company Apple. Then everyone will say you’re “cutting edge”.
Ramon,
Whats next ??? A google low cost laptop?
Jeff Chen’s Education
Beijing Institute of Technology
1994 — 1998
http://www.maxthon.com/index.htm
Weird, their download counter seems to stop incrementing when viewing other pages, and even drops when refreshing. Almost like it’s not actually counting..
Gpwn the world?
I need correct response…. I was in wikipedia who quoted ‘Changyou’
“Maxthon started life as MyIE, originally created by Changyou, a Chinese man, who wanted to customize his Internet Explorer browser. MyIE was one of the first browsers to support tabbed browsing. Changyou posted most of the code onto his BBS, before leaving the project in 2000. ”
I want to truth. College did he go to?
If Google guys seriously think about web applications they have to have bigger influence on the platform - read browser. Just like in Microsoft, they own Windows and Office. Even if you don’t make money on the platform, it will allow you to build faster and better applications on the top of it.
Think what Microsoft might do. They can release a new version of IE and an office suite together. Thanks to new IE functions, an on-line office suite would work similar to the desktop version. Google Docs would look like a slow toy compared to Microsoft on-line office.
This is rather impossible because Microsoft almost lost its ability to write a new software. But it is a good example what you can achieve when you own a platform.
Wow…another useless article about Google. Is there really no other interesting news??
I like to see TC standard press. According Business 2.0. I was search Maxthon. They printed:
Chen Ming Jie
http://money.cnn.com/galleries.....z2/10.html
On Maxthon his English name is Jeff Chen. Now, I hate seeing corporate doubles like saddam hussein.
Maxthon partner and Senior Vice president Netanel Jacobsson stepped down in early July:
“Now with the big strategic deal with Google done, the company is established as a respected browser alternative, I feel that the right time has come for me to move on and get involved in new and exciting ventures.”
http://net.typepad.com/net/200.....own-f.html
That might signal a fixed end-point in said person’s mind about Maxthon’s future no longer appealing enough to personally pursue. Let’s wait and see what comes of Maxthon’s Google deal.
What was that article about over 75% of people who downloaded Firefox are not active users?
I am using maxthon browser.
Its not bad.
Interesting that they are pursuing a browser based on Microsoft IE.
Google wont release their own browser, although its possible the company will make one (Goobuntu is an example of this behaviour).
Google’s main interest in effectively buying out Maxthon is to stop Microsoft paying for the built in search.
@Need Info,
Why don’t you find some truth in an English class.
@ 34… I don’t think you helping me. If someone steal your idea without premission. What you do?
You say “Why don’t you find some truth in an English class.” Are you helping me or not?
Maybe they should start by crawling the web more often for updates……MSN updates weeks faster than google.
LOL Just make Google.com exclusive to the g browser so it can only work on there, then ur guarenteed to get market share
I love Google & update Google news.
No many people like google.
They do not need one, they have Firefox.
Alex
真酷啊~~~
Google is looking for a Software Engineer with Web browser architecture and porting experience http://www.google.com/support/.....swer=32965
in Boston.
I don’t see Google launching a browser anytime soon. They just don’t have a need, and too many other products that need continued refinement.
hey, I have just asked one of the key developers from Maxthon, he said that he never heard this(google’s investigation)
Is that true? Or just my friend’s mistake ( I don’t think so, for he’s been involved with the Maxthon for years)
Google and Firefox are pretty tight, so who knows.
PLEASE! Not another browser, the more that come out, the harder it becomes to make websites to adapt to all browsers. And it’s not like we don’t have enough issues with Firefox, Internet Explorer and Safari.
@45
You are 100% correct!!! I was creating WEB 2.0 design. Now, I have problem with Opera, Firefox, IE. All the buttons look very differnet, some javascript won’t execute, and page look different.
It’s too much work for webdesigners.
Maxthon is just a wrapper around the IE browser COM object, with better side features. It is not a “browser” unto itself, unless they plan on also acquiring Microsoft. GOOG are most likely than not just buying their way into additional advertising exposure.
Also agree with #45
We’ve already got enough problems keeping websites compatible with the browsers that are out there. Another big player would just make life more difficult and lead to less surfer satisfaction, as there’s always going to be someone complaining that “X website doesn’t work in X browser”.
Nobody wins. Not surfers. Definitely not developers. If Google’s got ideas they should just stick them in a toolbar - if it catches on, add it to vanilla FireFox, etc.
@35: Dude, wrong forum. If you think you can outdo Maxthon, the reasons for your motivations are not that significant in the end. Whether greed, competition, or righting injustices (did he sign an NDA ?) lead you to innovate, just go out there and innovate. Just outdo Maxthon; it’s not hard (from memory, it has no significant privacy-specific features not already in IE). Whether you hate someone or not is almost entirely irrelevant to the process.
I hate Firefox, Opera, Netscape, and newer browers. It’s pain in ass. You have install Active X, Adobe PDF, and other plugs in.
I don’t care about the skins. I want super fast browser with privacy protection.