Google Chrome: Where Did It Go?

When Google released the beta version of their shiny new browser in early September, we couldn’ t have been happier. Google Chrome was fast and full of features, and had all of the things that the other browsers lacked. Not surprisingly, we predicted that it would be a huge hit in the web development community, as well as with other recreational web surfers. But what happened? Where did it disappear to?

According to some estimates, namely the browser usage statistics provided by W3Schools, Google Chrome experienced rapid popularity in September when 3.1% of internet users started using it. But in October, the browser actually lost some of its popularity and now only represents about 3% of the market share.

Why Isn’t Chrome Catching On?

Here are some reasons we think that more people aren’t using Chrome:

1. Only Works on Windows. Currently, Chrome only works on Windows Vista or XP SP2. So, given fact that internet many internet users have different operating systems, such as Linux, FreeBSD, and MacOSX, Chrome is alienating a huge portion of its potential audience.
2. Download Not Readily Accessible. When Chrome was first released, Google openly publicized it on its home page. However, Google very quickly removed the link. This means that it is difficult for new users to learn about Chrome and download it. After all, unlike other browsers such as Internet Explorer or Safari, Chrome is not the default browser that comes packaged with any operating system.
3. No Support for Extensions. Althought Chrome has a great number of innate features, it lacks the wealth of add-ons, toolbars, and plugins that many other browsers — namely Firefox and Internet Explorer — have. When Google Chrome enables support for external code, then we’ll likely see rapid increases in popularity.

Chrome Outlook: Partly Cloudy with Clear Skies Ahead!

Right now, we do not expect Chrome to get any drastic rise in popularity. But some interesting changes are in the works. First, MacOSX and Linux versions of Chrome are under development. When these are released, we expect a significant increase in market share. And second, the Beta version was quickly succeeded by the actual release. And we hear that more features are currently under development which will make the browser even more robust.

So stay tuned… We expect that Chrome will be a major contender in the browser battle.

Update: Since we released this article, the Beta link has returned to the Google home page.