Google launches WhatBrowser.org, talks web browsers for Mom and Dad
whatbrowser.org
whatbrowser.org
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.
Wonder if the version discrepancy is due to OS?
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.
That might get them to upgrade too.
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.
no they don't! they talk BROWSER for Mom and Dad.
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".
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.
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).
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.
I'm thinking about switching to it for day to day use.
But what's surprising about Google's site is that it really doesn't seem to be pushing Chrome, or even Firefox.
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.
[froggy's comment here]
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.
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.
Yeah, very ".org" and altruistic...
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.