4 ms·

Ask YC: was Google Chrome project really that secret?

4 points by hhm 18y ago

Did Microsoft, for example, already know that Google was developing a browser? Could Google possibly keep this kind of secret for so long without it leaking to the competitors?

zain 18y ago
There was plenty of buzz about a Google browser over the years. Even the BBC covered it way back in 2004, around when the Chrome team was established: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3680942.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3680942.stm In addition, plenty of small blogs covered it: http://kottke.org/04/08/the-google-browser http://kottke.org/04/08/the-google-browser http://thetruthaboutmozilla.wordpress.com/2008/02/25/the-google-browser/ http://thetruthaboutmozilla.wordpress.com/2008/02/25/the-goo... So there were plenty of rumors flying around about Chrome. Its just that they were lost in the sea of rumors any large company has.
- hhm 18y ago
  I knew the rumors too... but did the competition knew it somehow, or were they in the same state of confusion as the rest of us?
  - nreece 18y ago
    I think they knew. Chrome doesn't pose a threat to Firefox (for the next year atleast), but looking at some of the rapid developments around IE7 and IE8, it seems like Microsoft sensed that Google will eventually launch a Web browser.
    - DabAsteroid 18y ago
      Chrome doesn't pose a threat to Firefox (for the next year atleast) Check the hourly Chrome chart: http://marketshare.hitslink.com/report.aspx?sample=21&qprid=43&qpcustom=Chrome+0.2 http://marketshare.hitslink.com/report.aspx?sample=21&qp... Chrome has already eclipsed Opera and Netscape. http://marketshare.hitslink.com/report.aspx?qprid=1 http://marketshare.hitslink.com/report.aspx?qprid=1 ...And the Chrome download-link is on the Google homepage.
    - DabAsteroid 18y ago
      On the other hand, maybe you're right. TechCrunch is seeing its readers pulling market share from IE: http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/09/04/google-analytics-now-tracks-chrome-our-share-623/ http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/09/04/google-analytics-now-tr... Nearly all the market share was taken from IE. Firefox actually gained almost 2% share in the last two days, and Safari was up more than 1%. IE, though, dropped from 30.77% to 23.92%.

4 points by hhm 18y ago

Did Microsoft, for example, already know that Google was developing a browser? Could Google possibly keep this kind of secret for so long without it leaking to the competitors?

zain 18y ago

There was plenty of buzz about a Google browser over the years. Even the BBC covered it way back in 2004, around when the Chrome team was established: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3680942.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3680942.stm In addition, plenty of small blogs covered it: http://kottke.org/04/08/the-google-browser http://kottke.org/04/08/the-google-browser http://thetruthaboutmozilla.wordpress.com/2008/02/25/the-google-browser/ http://thetruthaboutmozilla.wordpress.com/2008/02/25/the-goo... So there were plenty of rumors flying around about Chrome. Its just that they were lost in the sea of rumors any large company has.

hhm 18y ago
I knew the rumors too... but did the competition knew it somehow, or were they in the same state of confusion as the rest of us?
- nreece 18y ago
  I think they knew. Chrome doesn't pose a threat to Firefox (for the next year atleast), but looking at some of the rapid developments around IE7 and IE8, it seems like Microsoft sensed that Google will eventually launch a Web browser.
  - DabAsteroid 18y ago
    Chrome doesn't pose a threat to Firefox (for the next year atleast) Check the hourly Chrome chart: http://marketshare.hitslink.com/report.aspx?sample=21&qprid=43&qpcustom=Chrome+0.2 http://marketshare.hitslink.com/report.aspx?sample=21&qp... Chrome has already eclipsed Opera and Netscape. http://marketshare.hitslink.com/report.aspx?qprid=1 http://marketshare.hitslink.com/report.aspx?qprid=1 ...And the Chrome download-link is on the Google homepage.
  - DabAsteroid 18y ago
    On the other hand, maybe you're right. TechCrunch is seeing its readers pulling market share from IE: http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/09/04/google-analytics-now-tracks-chrome-our-share-623/ http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/09/04/google-analytics-now-tr... Nearly all the market share was taken from IE. Firefox actually gained almost 2% share in the last two days, and Safari was up more than 1%. IE, though, dropped from 30.77% to 23.92%.