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Matt Cutts, who appears omnipresent online and rarely misses a chance to defend Google’s honor, is at it again.
I’m beginning to wonder if he isn’t running a 20 percent time project in the metaphysics of good versus evil corporations when he isn’t cracking down on Google search gamers and entertaining ideas on how to thwart Web spam. But seriously …
Yesterday, Google’s Chrome team issued Chrome developer build 2.0.151.1, as detailed by Chrome engineer Mark Larson’s blog post.
Larson innocuously notes Google Chrome now has its own implementation of the HTTP network protocol, which will pave the way for Mac and Linux versions of Chrome.
Yet amid all the good stuff in here about form auto-complete, a better Webkit and utilities for navigating the young browser, just that allusion to the other, forthcoming operating system support was enough to draw chides from readers.
Jim wrote: “Blah blah blah. When’re ya gonna release a Linux version is all I care about.” dlangh added: “And Mac. Come on guys …” Cutts chimed in:
“Jim and dlangh, if you read the release notes you’ll notice changes such as “New network code. Google Chrome now has its own implementation of the HTTP network protocol (we were using the WinHTTP library on Windows, but need common code for Mac and Linux).” To me, that means the Chrome team is making changes that push Chrome closer to different platforms. I know that Mac/Linux is high on the to-do list, but it’s a lot of work. It’s coming.“
Clearly, Mac and Linux versions of Chrome are the most sought after iterations for the Web browser, which got me wondering.
Chrome is used by 1 percent of computer users worldwide, according to Net Applications, which tracks Web browser and operating system use among other Web apps. It will be interesting to see what the uptake of Chrome will be when Mac and Linux versions appear.
The percentage of users could double to 2 percent, still hardly enough to challenge Microsoft Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox. Anyone what to hazard a guess? But, come on, these things take time.
Folks, a little patience here, please. It’s not as if Google is taking the Chrome-wasn’t-built-in-a-day approach (you didn’t get the memo? It’s bad pun Friday). It’s commendable that Chrome has hit a 2.0 whatever release, even if it’s for geeks.
As for Cutts, well, he’s clearly a great team player for Google, rabidly reads comments, and responds to them with grace and the speed we expect from a Web services expert. Some other Web services providers (Microsoft, Yahoo?) would kill for that kind of teammate.