34 ms·

Wrong, it was bundled with software for instance. The average joe found that the launch icon of the original browser had been removed and learned that the inter

Wrong, it was bundled with software for instance. The average joe found that the launch icon of the original browser had been removed and learned that the internet had gotten a new icon. Google pushed it also via google results. Btw, the EU has fined Google in the past for promoting their products over competitors in their search results. That was already the hint that google has gotten too big to be not in conflict of interest anymore. The damage was done, people learned to "download the internet" from google first. And if they forgot, all Google services kept pushing them till they did.

nerdix 3y ago
What software was Chrome bundled with? I don't recall ever seeing that.
- FirmwareBurner 3y ago
  Alost everything mainstream that was popular on Windows back then: PDF readers, picture viewers, Mp3 players, video players, codec packs, CD/DVD burning SW, anti-virus SW, firewalls, torrent clients, downloads managers, system drivers, etc. They all had checkboxes for Chrome and other ad-ware. If you didn't pay attention to unchecked them during installation you'd find your default browser changed and other crap. Those who did "tech-support" for family members remember.
  - exceptione 3y ago
    Exactly this. You had to be really vigilant during install. Average joe: next next next done. Don't ever fantasize about average users back then doing research if there would be a better web browser and then going ahead to download and install chrome on their own. "What is a web browser?"
  - nerdix 3y ago
    I remember third party IE toolbars being bundled (and that practice pre-dated Chrome, IIRC). But I don't remember the full Chrome browser being bundled (I do remember the Google Toolbar). I was a Chrome user from basically the day it was released because I found it to be superior so I may have been blind to the practice since I was already using Chrome.
    - WorldMaker 3y ago
      The Google Toolbar adware installer component itself (the "Google Updater" or something like that) that you remember in installers eventually silently upgraded to a Chrome installer. Almost every installer that ever installed Google Toolbar was automatically a Chrome auto-installer, "thanks" to software as a service. If you didn't uncheck hidden "Google Toolbar" checkboxes, that would also auto-install Chrome. (That added to how hard it felt to keep Chrome from ever being installed on a machine, because sometimes you'd overlook the "Google Toolbar" in older installers as yet another trojan horse for Chrome.) Eventually the Google Toolbar itself would just auto-upgrade to Chrome as well. Anecdotally, my father liked the Google toolbar for giving a separate search box in IE, but disliked Chrome and was confused when Chrome auto-installed and the Google Toolbar partly became a big ad for "congrats, you can use Chrome now", and that was one of his reasons to (finally) switch to Firefox for good (he used both IE and Firefox for a long time prior).
- exceptione 3y ago
  I can't remember the names, too long ago. I thought even portableapps.com did do that, but I am not sure. The practice of bundling had become really common then: https://superuser.com/questions/850766/downloading-software-without-bloatware https://superuser.com/questions/850766/downloading-software-... I remember that I had to specifically uncheck this during installation of freeware back then. People I helped with their computer had no idea where chrome came from, the internet changed on a sudden day. They believably told they didn't download it. Most likely it came with some freeware they did download. For some it could be that they __did download it__ in fact by being tricked into it by weasel wording from google. There was a real strong push, I remember the chrome ads and links to chrome where pushed everywhere in google's services. Aside, ask a friend what the internet is and they point to chrome. We keep overestimating the average Joe. Young people are not necessarily any wiser, to the contrary I would say.
- edgyquant 3y ago
  Everything with an installer basically
- justinclift 3y ago
  Adobe software from rough memory. So, at least Flash Player and Acrobat Reader I think.
- mhermher 3y ago
  I remember the Java updater, which basically anyone using a computer had to occasionally update.

nerdix 3y ago

What software was Chrome bundled with? I don't recall ever seeing that.

FirmwareBurner 3y ago
Alost everything mainstream that was popular on Windows back then: PDF readers, picture viewers, Mp3 players, video players, codec packs, CD/DVD burning SW, anti-virus SW, firewalls, torrent clients, downloads managers, system drivers, etc. They all had checkboxes for Chrome and other ad-ware. If you didn't pay attention to unchecked them during installation you'd find your default browser changed and other crap. Those who did "tech-support" for family members remember.
- exceptione 3y ago
  Exactly this. You had to be really vigilant during install. Average joe: next next next done. Don't ever fantasize about average users back then doing research if there would be a better web browser and then going ahead to download and install chrome on their own. "What is a web browser?"
- nerdix 3y ago
  I remember third party IE toolbars being bundled (and that practice pre-dated Chrome, IIRC). But I don't remember the full Chrome browser being bundled (I do remember the Google Toolbar). I was a Chrome user from basically the day it was released because I found it to be superior so I may have been blind to the practice since I was already using Chrome.
  - WorldMaker 3y ago
    The Google Toolbar adware installer component itself (the "Google Updater" or something like that) that you remember in installers eventually silently upgraded to a Chrome installer. Almost every installer that ever installed Google Toolbar was automatically a Chrome auto-installer, "thanks" to software as a service. If you didn't uncheck hidden "Google Toolbar" checkboxes, that would also auto-install Chrome. (That added to how hard it felt to keep Chrome from ever being installed on a machine, because sometimes you'd overlook the "Google Toolbar" in older installers as yet another trojan horse for Chrome.) Eventually the Google Toolbar itself would just auto-upgrade to Chrome as well. Anecdotally, my father liked the Google toolbar for giving a separate search box in IE, but disliked Chrome and was confused when Chrome auto-installed and the Google Toolbar partly became a big ad for "congrats, you can use Chrome now", and that was one of his reasons to (finally) switch to Firefox for good (he used both IE and Firefox for a long time prior).
exceptione 3y ago
I can't remember the names, too long ago. I thought even portableapps.com did do that, but I am not sure. The practice of bundling had become really common then: https://superuser.com/questions/850766/downloading-software-without-bloatware https://superuser.com/questions/850766/downloading-software-... I remember that I had to specifically uncheck this during installation of freeware back then. People I helped with their computer had no idea where chrome came from, the internet changed on a sudden day. They believably told they didn't download it. Most likely it came with some freeware they did download. For some it could be that they __did download it__ in fact by being tricked into it by weasel wording from google. There was a real strong push, I remember the chrome ads and links to chrome where pushed everywhere in google's services. Aside, ask a friend what the internet is and they point to chrome. We keep overestimating the average Joe. Young people are not necessarily any wiser, to the contrary I would say.
edgyquant 3y ago
Everything with an installer basically
justinclift 3y ago
Adobe software from rough memory. So, at least Flash Player and Acrobat Reader I think.
mhermher 3y ago
I remember the Java updater, which basically anyone using a computer had to occasionally update.