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Sundar Pichai in 2009 [1]: >Second, Google believes that the browser market is still largely uncompetitive, which holds back innovation for users. This is beca
by IBM 8y ago
Sundar Pichai in 2009 [1]:
>Second, Google believes that the browser market is still largely uncompetitive, which holds back innovation for users. This is because Internet Explorer is tied to Microsoft's dominant computer operating system, giving it an unfair advantage over other browsers. Compare this to the mobile market, where Microsoft cannot tie Internet Explorer to a dominant operating system, and its browser therefore has a much lower usage.
By the way, I think it's absurd for Google to threaten that they may now charge a license for Android [2]. They're effectively saying that now that they've eliminated all competition over the past 10 years and achieved a dominant share of the market, they're going to raise prices. That's a slam dunk case even in the US's broken antitrust system.
[1] https://publicpolicy.googleblog.com/2009/02/browsers-powered-by-user-choice.html https://publicpolicy.googleblog.com/2009/02/browsers-powered...
[2] https://www.theverge.com/2018/7/18/17585396/google-android-eu-fine-response https://www.theverge.com/2018/7/18/17585396/google-android-e...
- lern_too_spel 8y agoThe majority of Android phones (including all Samsung phones) have other browsers preinstalled.
- mtgx 8y agoRelevant from 2014: https://www.androidcentral.com/theres-reason-youre-seeing-more-google-new-android-phones-google-wrote-contracts-way https://www.androidcentral.com/theres-reason-youre-seeing-mo...
- mgiannopoulos 8y agoReplace "browser" with "app store" and you arrive where the parent comment was going.
- lern_too_spel 8y agoThe majority of Android phones sold (including Samsung) preinstall other app stores too.
- HillaryBriss 8y agointeresting. which app stores are typically installed?
- lern_too_spel 8y agoNotable examples: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsung_Galaxy_Apps https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsung_Galaxy_Apps https://m.gsmarena.com/huawei_app_store_appgallery-news-30412.php https://m.gsmarena.com/huawei_app_store_appgallery-news-3041...
- glitchc 8y agoThis graph is telling: http://gs.statcounter.com/browser-market-share/mobile/worldwide http://gs.statcounter.com/browser-market-share/mobile/worldw... Subtract the iOS market share from the overall base, and is at 75% market share of remainder. The only strong competitor is UC Browser at 13.3%. This is an AliBaba product localized to mainland China. Remove that from the global market, and we end up with ~90% share for chrome in the rest of the world. That's antitrust territory.
- ucaetano 8y ago> This is an AliBaba product localized to mainland China. Nope, massively popular in India.
- glitchc 8y agoDidn't know that, that's interesting. Is it because low-end phones that are popular in India are largely Chinese-origin vendors?
- lern_too_spel 8y agoIf other browsers are also included by default, it is not antitrust to include that browser by default too. The only reason the share of Chrome would be interesting for antitrust would be if that share were leveraged to promote a product in another market, which nobody is claiming.
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]
- ocdtrekkie 8y agoActually that's exactly what the claim is: That Chrome being mandatorily included and set as default is used to promote Google Search unfairly. That's directly in the EU's statement.
- lern_too_spel 8y ago
- beenBoutIT 8y agoIIRC, these browsers are generally impossible or next to impossible to get rid of.
- mrep 8y agoWell, the bundling has been there since day one so it's not like they are really raising prices. If the EU won't let google make money for android through search, then it seems reasonable to me for them to shift their revenue generation through licensing.