Google launches WhatBrowser.org, talks web browsers for Mom and Dad(whatbrowser.org)
whatbrowser.org
Google launches WhatBrowser.org, talks web browsers for Mom and Dad
http://www.whatbrowser.org/
42 comments
IE6 still has roughly a quarter of all browser market share. I'm sure Google is hoping some of those people will visit their new site, see they're using a browser released in 2003 or whenever, and decide to upgrade. Google conveniently provides alternatives to IE 8 just below that. Clever.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usage_share_of_web_browsers
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usage_share_of_web_browsers
At work I'm forced to use IE6 :(
Weird, for me it just says "You are using Google Chrome 3" with no release date. In IE and Safari it tells me the release date.
Mine says "You are using: Google Chrome 4" without release date...
Wonder if the version discrepancy is due to OS?
Wonder if the version discrepancy is due to OS?
Negative. Three results from the same Windows XP box:
Google Chrome 3
Internet Explorer 7 (released October 2006)
Firefox 3 (released June 2008)
Techy: If-it-weren't-Google-it-might-be-marketing-but-Google-would-never-do-that.
Google Chrome 3
Internet Explorer 7 (released October 2006)
Firefox 3 (released June 2008)
Techy: If-it-weren't-Google-it-might-be-marketing-but-Google-would-never-do-that.
They could try a popup that say "Hey, we just installed a virus on your computer."
That might get them to upgrade too.
That might get them to upgrade too.
I think the most conspicuous spin on the site is repeatedly calling the browser "the most important piece of software on your computer." Google has made it very clear that they intend to move computer use off of the desktop and into the cloud.
Personally, though, I don't see a problem with it. They're right--the world is moving that direction. They're just smart enough to see it.
Personally, though, I don't see a problem with it. They're right--the world is moving that direction. They're just smart enough to see it.
I like how it's pretty egalitarian and even (gasp) gives IE as an option. Clearly they want to move away from it, but it's nice that it's not yet-another-anti-IE site. Hopefully education like this will help people make more informed decisions. Certainly going to try it on my granny, who understands what specific different programs (email, Skype) are but hasn't quite got the web browser part down yet. Next step: explaining what a web site is...
I'm all for IE if they at least push for IE8.
Well, if it helps people stop referring to browsers as "the internet," I'm all for it.
I predict that this image:
http://www.whatbrowser.org/img/browser-timeline.png
linked from the site here:
http://www.whatbrowser.org/more/
will not be of much use to people who refer to their browsers as "the internet".
http://www.whatbrowser.org/img/browser-timeline.png
linked from the site here:
http://www.whatbrowser.org/more/
will not be of much use to people who refer to their browsers as "the internet".
I once walked up to a university helpdesk to get them to allow my wireless card's mac on the wireless network. I told them that I was using linux and they said "that's OK, just open the internet". I hadn't heard that reference yet and it took me a few tries to figure out what they wanted.
Or, even worse, "oh, you mean AOL?"
The number one concern naive users express to me is that by "switching" browsers they are giving up their current browser. Because of this concern, they are not willing to try another browser. They say "things work well enough now. I don't really have any big complaints. It's fast enough. I don't have a reason to switch."
Notice that word again, "switch."
This key flaw in the mental model of naive users, the idea that installing a new browser absolutely requires them to switch, is not addressed in the Google video.
Of course, yes, switching likely will happen if they ever get past the step of trying a better browser. But they get hung up on their misconception that there is no trial period, no opportunity to ease into the new browser.
I wish anyone doing these campaigns, whether Google or Mozilla, would notice this issue and address it. Instead the campaigns seem to be designed from a geek's perspective of what we geeks think the problem might be, rather from the users' perspectives of what the users' perceived problems are.
Notice that word again, "switch."
This key flaw in the mental model of naive users, the idea that installing a new browser absolutely requires them to switch, is not addressed in the Google video.
Of course, yes, switching likely will happen if they ever get past the step of trying a better browser. But they get hung up on their misconception that there is no trial period, no opportunity to ease into the new browser.
I wish anyone doing these campaigns, whether Google or Mozilla, would notice this issue and address it. Instead the campaigns seem to be designed from a geek's perspective of what we geeks think the problem might be, rather from the users' perspectives of what the users' perceived problems are.
by 'switching' and trying Firefox/Chrome/etc., they are giving up the bookmarks, toolbars, and whatever other customizations they've downloaded and installed on their browser (presumably IE since that's the default that non-geeks use on Windows) ... sure, they could export their bookmarks, re-download toolbars, etc., but that's costly for a non-geek.
Everything nowadays imports bookmarks automatically (though it doesn't keep them synched once it has them.) Also, I don't know anyone that "customizes" IE—most people just accidentally install a toolbar or two while installing, for example, the JRE.
Why do you suppose they used cartoonish icons for the browsers like firefox and opera? Is it just to make it look more friendly to a naive user?
I assume it has nothing to do with any sort of trademark issues but I've wondered what the limitations are for using those icons on a website (for instance, a "Best Viewed By These Browsers" box).
I assume it has nothing to do with any sort of trademark issues but I've wondered what the limitations are for using those icons on a website (for instance, a "Best Viewed By These Browsers" box).
I think it's an interesting site, but I'm not totally sure why Google made it. There are plenty of other "upgrade" sites already out there. Maybe they felt that none were simple enough? I also wonder about the placement of the "under the hood" section. If I were them, I'd make that a little more hidden. Seems like it could intimidate and drive away Mom and Dad.
Out of curiosity, when you click on the "try a new browser" button at the bottom, do you get Opera, Firefox, and Safari? In the source code, IE and Chrome are both display:none'd.
I'm using Firefox 3.5, on a Mac.
Out of curiosity, when you click on the "try a new browser" button at the bottom, do you get Opera, Firefox, and Safari? In the source code, IE and Chrome are both display:none'd.
I'm using Firefox 3.5, on a Mac.
IE6 and IE7 are a major roadblock to Google's vision of the future web, since next-gen Google applications can't work well in those browsers, ie. Google Wave and Javascript-rich apps. Ultimately they want to get people away from IE and into a different browser, preferably Chrome, so they can increase their web dominance.
I speculated years ago that Microsoft's long-term vision was to eliminate the browser. I think they wanted a world where people ran fat .NET clients delivered via one-click deployment.
Interesting to see now that the browser continues to be the application "container" and javascript the implementation language for applications. And the alternatives and challenges to IE have continued to grow.
Wonder if Microsoft regrets not maintaining IE for the Mac, and their even older *nix port.
Interesting to see now that the browser continues to be the application "container" and javascript the implementation language for applications. And the alternatives and challenges to IE have continued to grow.
Wonder if Microsoft regrets not maintaining IE for the Mac, and their even older *nix port.
I know that IE6 and 7, and even 8, act as roadblocks. I'm dealing with that right now on a new site that I hadn't cross-browser-tested, and am now finding all kinds of headaches ... in IE8.
But what's surprising about Google's site is that it really doesn't seem to be pushing Chrome, or even Firefox.
But what's surprising about Google's site is that it really doesn't seem to be pushing Chrome, or even Firefox.
It looks like the "Try a new browser" options are set based on browsers that are available for your OS. Since IE and Chrome aren't available for Mac (Chrome for Mac's not officially ready), those aren't shown to Mac users.
It seems odd that it shows Linux users IE then. Of course, you CAN get it to run on Wine, but it's not exactly supported.
Then again, if you're on Linux, you're not really part of the problem, now are you?
I used the development version of Chrome for Mac but it has bugs and shortcomings still. I will be glad when they finally finish it.
I just tested it against Safari 4 on Snow Leopard on my old 2Ghz Core Duo MacBook, and it smokes Safari in SunSpider and V8's tests (the latter unsurprising as Google obviously deems their tests important performance points). I didn't do Dromeo.
I'm thinking about switching to it for day to day use.
I'm thinking about switching to it for day to day use.
I believe because of this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3vv0_RNTM8
[froggy's comment here]
[froggy's comment here]
Opera, Chrome, FF, IE, Safari on FF 3.5, Windows XP.
Of the plenty of other sites, I like http://browsehappy.com/
I'm running Ubuntu, and I see all 5 options when I use Firefox 3.5 or Chromium.
From the video: The most important program on your computer is your browser
What about text editing, programming IDE's, etc. People just assume that the web browser is the most important these days.
That said I do approve of Google's movement to make the browser more known. It makes a lot of sense and I remember when they were first talking about the fact that most people don't even know what a web browser is. That's sort of surprising, and I guess they are trying to remedy that.
What about text editing, programming IDE's, etc. People just assume that the web browser is the most important these days.
That said I do approve of Google's movement to make the browser more known. It makes a lot of sense and I remember when they were first talking about the fact that most people don't even know what a web browser is. That's sort of surprising, and I guess they are trying to remedy that.
I don't think that's really a fair criticism. This isn't aimed a technical audience, and the vast majority of computer users don't even have a clue what an IDE is. I'd guess that the majority of time spent on computers today is spent in web browsers, which would to justify their statement.
I guess that is true. Most people just use their computers for emailing or web browsing. Even regular text editing is done less because people don't send as many physical letters, instead they send emails.
Still it seems a little bit of a stretch to say that the browser is the most important program on your computer. But that's my opinion obviously.
Still it seems a little bit of a stretch to say that the browser is the most important program on your computer. But that's my opinion obviously.
They want to teach people about web browsers, as long as they convert to Chrome. Note the Analytics UTM params on the Chrome link in the "What Browser" page.
Yeah, very ".org" and altruistic...
Yeah, very ".org" and altruistic...
Um, why wouldn't they want to track traffic to their own website?
I don't think my mom will be looking at the variables in the query string. As for the actual information on the site, it's very even-handed and doesn't seem to favor one browser over another. If anything, Firefox--not Chrome--may be the center of attention more than any other.
I don't think my mom will be looking at the variables in the query string. As for the actual information on the site, it's very even-handed and doesn't seem to favor one browser over another. If anything, Firefox--not Chrome--may be the center of attention more than any other.
the funny thing is that nobody actually cares what a browser is...
I suppose the point of this site is to change this mentality. As it is mentioned in the related Google Blog post, you care about what a car is and most people spend more time using a browser than in their car, so why not care about browsers?
Most people have learned that, with computers, generally new is better than old. Maybe some people will upgrade to a modern browser based solely on wanting to be "with it." Imagine being told that your computer is running a browser released in 2001. SO uncool. :)
Whatever works, I say.