5 ms·

I wonder how many Edge users change their default browser from Bing to Google. I think the answer to that would probably make or break this case.

Someone 3y ago
If many users considered changing their search engine in iOS, it wouldn’t be worth $20 billion to Google to be the default. From that, I think it’s a safe bet Edge users don’t do that, either.
- Belopolye 3y ago
  [dead]
ecshafer 3y ago
I would seriously guess near zero. People who use Edge are, I would guess, the types of people that just use the default, the people who do not know tech and just know which thing to click for "the internet".
- AuthError 3y ago
  in the case they said it's in the teens, so that's after crazy level of dark patterns (probably if they do age analysis it's gonna skew towards more single digit share for younger demographic)
- wvenable 3y ago
  I also then wonder how many people go out and install Chrome. Edge is bundled in. It's the default. Going out and installing Chrome would be considered an even bigger challenge than just changing a setting. Maybe nobody uses the default anyway and they just type "google" into the bing bar before they do any searches.
  - ocdtrekkie 3y ago
    This is where Google's multiple monopolies go in. If you have a Gmail account and try to use it on another browser you will get a constant barrage of popups and banners pushing you to Chrome. YouTube, same deal. If they can trick a user just once into going "okay fine", the Google installer runs and now Google's managing your defaults for everything else. Which is why obviously Microsoft tries so hard to prevent installers from taking over the default browser setting now. I regularly encounter users who have actively malicious search providers and entire web browsers they do not know how they got. Tricking people into changing over is very much a thing, and actually how Sundar became as popular as he is. People often forget that Sundar Pichai's entire claim to fame at Google was the Google Toolbar, which was snuck into Flash Player and Reader installs to hijack people's search provider. (The same bundled install trick was, of course, then adapted to growth hack Chrome's numbers as well.)
- jve 3y ago
  I use Edge. Vertical Tabs and Chromium without Chrome, what's not to like. Oh, and the ChatGPT sidebar.
  - mrkramer 3y ago
    Edge is bloated. Microsoft still thinks that more features equals to better product. They bundle everything together to infinity and beyond.
- Sylamore 3y ago
  That's a broad brush. I don't really see the value in installing Chrome or any other Chromium based browser when Edge is already there, already updated, and also Chromium based. While in my personal life I used Firefox, I've found no reason for the last 2 years or so to bother with putting Chrome on a work device.
noirscape 3y ago
Very unlikely that it's a lot of users from at least anecdotal experience (I used to help a lot of regular people with IT a few years ago). Default settings are very decisive in how most people set up their entire OS really. Very few people ever enter the settings app to customize things to their liking - most just assume any friction that the OS throws at them is just something the magical black box that does the computer things does and the only thing the user wants is to make it go away. Not understand it, just make it go away. That's what a lot of Google's attempts to become your default {browser,search engine} is also aimed at - irritate a regular user just enough with the idea that if they accept it, all the nagging about that subject goes away. Most users don't fully understand their OS enough to get what decision they're making, so they end up with Google as their defaults. (This is also super prevalent on Android - try denying say, the Youtube app, access to your notifications. The app will ask for notificaton permissions every single time. Google really wants access to your data and "no" isn't an acceptable answer to them. If this was a real human, you'd probably call that out as being creepy, but people tolerate it with Google for some reason.)

Someone 3y ago

If many users considered changing their search engine in iOS, it wouldn’t be worth $20 billion to Google to be the default. From that, I think it’s a safe bet Edge users don’t do that, either.

Belopolye 3y ago
[dead]

ecshafer 3y ago

I would seriously guess near zero. People who use Edge are, I would guess, the types of people that just use the default, the people who do not know tech and just know which thing to click for "the internet".

AuthError 3y ago
in the case they said it's in the teens, so that's after crazy level of dark patterns (probably if they do age analysis it's gonna skew towards more single digit share for younger demographic)
wvenable 3y ago
I also then wonder how many people go out and install Chrome. Edge is bundled in. It's the default. Going out and installing Chrome would be considered an even bigger challenge than just changing a setting. Maybe nobody uses the default anyway and they just type "google" into the bing bar before they do any searches.
- ocdtrekkie 3y ago
  This is where Google's multiple monopolies go in. If you have a Gmail account and try to use it on another browser you will get a constant barrage of popups and banners pushing you to Chrome. YouTube, same deal. If they can trick a user just once into going "okay fine", the Google installer runs and now Google's managing your defaults for everything else. Which is why obviously Microsoft tries so hard to prevent installers from taking over the default browser setting now. I regularly encounter users who have actively malicious search providers and entire web browsers they do not know how they got. Tricking people into changing over is very much a thing, and actually how Sundar became as popular as he is. People often forget that Sundar Pichai's entire claim to fame at Google was the Google Toolbar, which was snuck into Flash Player and Reader installs to hijack people's search provider. (The same bundled install trick was, of course, then adapted to growth hack Chrome's numbers as well.)
jve 3y ago
I use Edge. Vertical Tabs and Chromium without Chrome, what's not to like. Oh, and the ChatGPT sidebar.
- mrkramer 3y ago
  Edge is bloated. Microsoft still thinks that more features equals to better product. They bundle everything together to infinity and beyond.
Sylamore 3y ago
That's a broad brush. I don't really see the value in installing Chrome or any other Chromium based browser when Edge is already there, already updated, and also Chromium based. While in my personal life I used Firefox, I've found no reason for the last 2 years or so to bother with putting Chrome on a work device.

noirscape 3y ago

Very unlikely that it's a lot of users from at least anecdotal experience (I used to help a lot of regular people with IT a few years ago). Default settings are very decisive in how most people set up their entire OS really. Very few people ever enter the settings app to customize things to their liking - most just assume any friction that the OS throws at them is just something the magical black box that does the computer things does and the only thing the user wants is to make it go away. Not understand it, just make it go away. That's what a lot of Google's attempts to become your default {browser,search engine} is also aimed at - irritate a regular user just enough with the idea that if they accept it, all the nagging about that subject goes away. Most users don't fully understand their OS enough to get what decision they're making, so they end up with Google as their defaults. (This is also super prevalent on Android - try denying say, the Youtube app, access to your notifications. The app will ask for notificaton permissions every single time. Google really wants access to your data and "no" isn't an acceptable answer to them. If this was a real human, you'd probably call that out as being creepy, but people tolerate it with Google for some reason.)