Well, enter Google Chrome, the prodigious youngster that outsmarted its siblings and practicallysent someto the retirement home.
Why, you ask?
How did Chrome climb to the summit of the surfing app world, towering above its predecessors and competitors?
Vladislav Mashirenko
The answer isnt as simple as, Oh, its made by Google.
(Lets be honest, that name carries some weight).
But, of course, this is just the glossy cover of a very intricate story.
How did Chrome emerge as the unequivocal champion in a sea of alternatives?
Time to dive deep into this digital journey.
Because Chrome certainly was!
Before the age of Chrome, the internet was a vastly different landscape.
Enter the scene, Internet Explorer (IE).
This online window was like the unavoidable guest at every party omnipresent and somewhat, well, imposing.
IE was bundled with Windows operating systems and had the home-field advantage.
And for many, that was the window to the Internet.
But the internet is all about constant competition, right?
Especially on its dawn.
And thats where Netscapecomes into the picture.
This web app, with its charismatic Navigator mascot, was trying to cut IEs party short.
What made Netscape truly special was its audacity.
It was a digital compass, guiding users through the untamed expanses of the web.
And the cherry on top?
It was free for non-commercial users.
It was like the digital equivalent of discovering the coolest club in town before everyone else did.
However, every epic saga has its titanic clashes.
Enter the First online window War.
The underdog, Netscape, faced off against the tech titan, Microsofts Internet Explorer (IE).
While Netscape basked in its glory, Microsoft was strategizing, plotting, and prepping its battle plan.
The first major salvo came in the form of Internet Explorer 4.
In a move Sun Tzu would envy, Microsoft decided to bundle IE4 with Windows.
For the average user, this was convenience personified.
Why download another surfing app when youve got one embedded right into your operating system?
This strategic move tilted the scales in favor of IE.
It was like giving Usain Bolt a head start in a 100-meter race.
For all its early dominance, Netscape faced an existential threat.
Microsofts aggressive push and deep pockets, and integration capabilities began chipping away at Netscapes user base.
What was once a massive 82% stronghold started dwindling.
And that was the time when Microsoft won the First web client War.
Theyve found a simple solution: simply adding their internet tool to their OS.
Taking into account the speed of Internet connection, who could beat them?
The Internet wasnt fast enough to let you download Netscape with just one click and a couple of seconds.
And that was the field where no one could defeat Microsoft, at least for that time.
The crux of the First net net app War wasnt just about market shares or technical prowess.
It was emblematic of the seismic shifts happening in the digital realm.
It was about control, influence, and shaping the very fabric of the nascent internet.
2002 was significant not just for IEs dominance but also because it was the year Mozilla Firefoxwas launched.
In essence, Firefox was born out of the frustrations and limitations of IE.
And then began the Second internet tool War.
Why endure a slow, often crash-prone web client just because it came pre-installed?
Firefoxs rise highlighted IEs glaring inadequacies.
Firefox became a stark contrast to the corporate behemoth that was IE.
And the market responded.
Firefox steadily chipped away at IEs dominance, reaching a commendable 19% market share in 2008.
Not enough to overthrow the reigning champion, but enough to make it sweat.
A crucial game-changer in this war was the advent of high-speed internet.
Previously, downloading a new web client was a task only for the patient or the brave.
But with faster connections, switching to a superior browsing experience was just a few clicks away.
This seemingly minor shift in internet infrastructure played a pivotal role in leveling the playing field.
It highlighted that dominance wasnt just about sheer numbers but about meeting users evolving needs.
This dominance meant that Microsoft essentially controlled how most people accessed Googles search engine.
To ensure the prospective future, Googlehad to think on its feet.
This move was a masterstroke, ensuring that hundreds of millions could access Google without relying on Microsofts goodwill.
Many old browsers just couldnt keep up.
They lacked the tech finesse to support the innovative features of services like Google Maps.
It wasnt just about delivering search results anymore; Google was sculpting a more interactive, dynamic web.
But without the right web app tech, that was simply not possible, at least at the full.
And that was one more answer to the question, Do we need our own web client?
Internet Explorer was like that old, trusty car that everyone had but secretly wished to replace.
More like a leisurely stroll than a sprint.
Lets just say it wasnt winning any design awards.
Just look at this.
Thats how the Internet looked like in 2008.
Looks like something you would be never happy with.
Google saw the gaping hole in the market, a yearning for something fresh, efficient, and user-friendly.
But the stakes were sky-high.
Google couldnt afford a misstep.
They needed to hit a home run on their first swing.
The good way was the way to the basics.
At least when it comes to the interface.
Google Chrome was more like that.
Its architecture was streamlined, ensuring rapid page loads.
Weve all been there, right?
Youre browsing, and bam!
Thats a crash; youre here to open everything from scratch.
At least not as frequent as with IE.
you’re able to see this approach even now in your Task Manager.
Chrome has not one process but a separate one for every tab.
And if the worst did happen?
A quick restore brought back all your tabs.
But the blueprint for Chrome extended beyond just software compatibility.
Googles corporate ledger during this period was awash with strategic acquisitions.
you might read a great story about the Google Chrome technology stackhere.
This was revolutionary at the time and addressed a major pain point for users.
And one more thing it made the overall browsing experience faster, as each tab ran separately.
V8 Engine
Developed by Ian Back and others, V8 Engine gave a lot to Chromes performance.
This engine was specifically designed for recursive JavaScript tasks, ensuring web applications ran smoothly.
V8 became Googles open-source JavaScript and WebAssembly engine, meticulously crafted in C++.
Its the powerhouse behind Google Chrome.
At its core, V8 is designed to be fast and efficient.
This bytecode is then compiled into machine code using just-in-time (JIT) compilation, ensuring rapid execution.
Gears integration
Google Chrome integrated the Gears to augment its JavaScript prowess.
The iteration of Gears in 2008 in Chrome mirrors functionalities found in the V8 engine and the SQLite code.
Chromium Projects
When I was young, I wondered what the Chromium is.
But heres an answer, in September 2008, Google open-sourced its efforts behind Chrome, launching theChromium Projects.
This was in stark contrast to Microsoft and their closed-source Internet Explorer.
The launch of Google Chrome was also a creative one.
They dropped an app and designed a comic book to present their new web client.
you’re able to read the full comicshere.
To swipe pages, simply punch them.
Chromes launch
That was September 2, 2008, when Chrome was launched.
And a way to download and install a online window with a couple of clicks on the Google website.
In the first year, Chromes market share was less than 1%, but users liked it.
So that was only the question of time when it would become a king.
Microsoft probably realized the threat, but the Internet Explorer architecture was a problem.
That was not only about changes to the interface or something like that.
To compete with Chrome, Microsoft needed an absolutely new surfing app.
And it seems they havent realized the threat or simply decided this thing is unimportant.
Firefox was rapidly catching up with almost 32% of the market share.
Chrome made striking progress during this time, reaching a market share of 5%.
Seems small, but it was only a year since Chromes launch.
I would even say very fast.
I remember trying Chrome for the first time in 2009 and being impressed by its speed.
Today, extensions may seem as commonplace as the air we breathe online.
Whats the point of trying to add all the functions people may need right inside the online window?
The better way to keep it simple and fast but let people install what they need.
So was the idea behind the Chrome extensions.
Besides its celebrated sandboxed tabs, extensions swiftly became the cornerstone of Chromes identity.
Nothing short of meteoric.
An impressive 70 million extensions and themes gracing Chrome browsers worldwide.
This wasnt just about numbers, though.
It was emblematic of a shift in user behavior and expectations.
But with extensions, Google faced a lot of security issues.
This wasnt merely a change in rankings; it symbolized a changing of the guard.
As 2014 dawned, Google Chrome stood on the precipice of digital dominance.
But this was merely the prologue.
The initial salvo of the year was fired in January: the unveiling of Chrome for Android and iOS.
And now Google wasnt an underdog; the company was in the front of a trend.
And a company gave way for big players to monetize with their extensions.
In March 2014, Googles decision to retool its monetization strategies offered a beacon.
How can I switch from Chrome if I have so many extensions installed?
For some companies, Chrome extensions even become the main part of their business.
So, what propelled Chrome to such an illustrious position?
Fast forward to 2022, and Chromes hegemony shows no signs of waning.
With a staggering3.2 billion users globally, this isnt just dominance.
These numbers dont merely represent a user base; thats how the Internet looks like.
So why has Microsoft lost?
The perspective goes far deeper than just the surface-level surfing app wars.
Its a fundamental truth: not all battles are of equal importance for every contender.
This isnt to imply a lack of foresight but rather an insight into their broader strategy.
Arguably a secondary front in the grand scheme of their expansive portfolio.
Google, on the other hand, had a different trajectory.
Their core business inherently emphasized the browsers importance as the gateway to the Internet.
To say Microsoft underestimated Google may be an oversimplification.
But lets also entertain a critical perspective: Did Microsoft genuinely neglect the net online gate domain?
Or was it a calculated decision based on their understanding of their core competencies and strategic imperatives?
