Google Chrome To Become Default Internet Web Browser

By: Jennifer Hong
Staff Writer
Published: Dec 21, 2008

Several computer vendors are exploring the possibility of including Google Chrome as the default Internet Web browser of choice. Most PCs and laptops traditionally come with Microsoft's Internet Explorer installed.

Google Inc is talking with PC vendors to include its Chrome Web browser new desktop PCs, notebooks, and laptops. New PCs customarily come with Microsoft's Internet Explorer as the default browser. The Microsoft operating system, such as Windows and Vista, include IE as the default.

Even so, top companies such as Dell, HP, Acer, and Toshiba are showing interest in a pre-install agreement with Google. The agreement would replace Internet Explorer as the default Internet Web browser with Google Chrome.

"We could work with an OEM and have them ship computers with Chrome pre-installed," Sundar Pichai, Vice President of Product Management at Google, said in a statement.

The search engine giant wants to gain more acceptance for its latest project by pre-installing it on new PCs. Some vendors already like the idea.

Internet Explorer currently leads the market which critics say having the browser set as a default is the primary reason. In fact, IE has been the default Internet Web browser for over a decade.

Google Chrome recently came out of beta. New versions of the browser will be released in January 2009 for Linux and Mac computers.