Why I gave up on Google Chrome – After 2 months

Almost exactly two months ago, Google lit the blogosphere on fire by releasing an Internet browser.  Personally, I blogged that it was a direct attack on Microsoft and served no other purpose but to get everyone talking about Google.

However, I gave it a shot.  At first I tried to use it exclusively, but it lacks the ability to use add-ons such as themes or plug-ins.

So, I started using Google Chrome as my default browser, but used FireFox when I started really working.  This worked fairly well.  Why?  Because quite often, within twitter and/or e-mails, I would click on a link to a url.  When I did, the web page would initially open in Google Chrome. 

This worked fairly well, because the one true benefit to Google Chrome is that it does load a little quicker.

How much faster?  

There are ways of testing it to the tenth of a second.  But in real life, does that really matter?  No.  My quick testing just now shows that it takes about one second to load Chrome.  It takes about two to load Firefox.

But here’s what happens.  As I continue to use Google Chrome, I inevitably want to use one of my toolbars.  As an SEO, I regularly use Search Status, SEO for FireFox, and Web Developer Toolbox.  These are essential to my business.  (If you are an SEO, you should use them too.)  I also use StumbleUpon and Facebook toolbars.

So sorry Google!  That one second of my life that you saved several times per day just is not worth it.  My browser is a tool.  Not having the FireFox add-ons makes your browser practically worthless to me.

Now that two months has gone by, can we all just agree that Google did this primarily to stick it to Microsoft?  Be honest.  They really didn’t need to make a browser.  They practically own FireFox already.  And Firefox is slowly and steadily taking over Microsoft’s Internet Explorer.

This is a case of a company just plain having too much money and throwing it anywhere they can just to stick it to their competitors.

Maybe the recession will get Google working back on their core products – search (and organizing the world’s information and putting ads on it).

PS:  A quick informal poll on Twitter just proved that very few are using Chrome any more.  It has been little more than a passing PR stunt so far for Google.

Popularity: 21% [?]