What if google paid for chrome to be default?

[xir_]

This is just a thought experiment.

I'm wondering what the rest of the community would think if google paid canonical to make chrome the default browser in ubuntu.

Now I know a lot of you prefer firefox (me too normally) but google pays the mozilla corporation to make their default search engine google, surely some sort of similar arrangement with canonical could also be possible.

Would you accept this type of change, even if it brought some more funds into canonical?


note: chrome will soon be the default on Sony laptops with W7

[BrokenKingpin]

Would not bother me one bit. I havn't used chrome yet, but if I didn't like it:
sudo apt-get install firefox

[Simon17]

I think when you install Ubuntu, there should be a ballot that pops up and asks you which browser you want to use.

[adeypoop]

I couldn't see it happening, Ubuntu's philosophy doesn't include proprietary software far as I know. It might end up in the medibuntu repository though.

If it did happen I'd only use it long enough to get firefox / swiftfox installed, nothing against chrome except I use too much google stuff already

[sdowney717]

why a single default, install both of them. let the user choose.

i instantly missed features of firefox while trying chrome. smooth scrolling and drop down address bar

[Simon17]

I couldn't see it happening, Ubuntu's philosophy doesn't include proprietary software far as I know.

Wake up and smell the beans.

[Pogeymanz]

I would love that. I can always remove it. It would be free money for Canonical.

[gnomeuser]

Well Google already does OEM deals with certain vendors to have Chrome preinstalled. I wouldn't think they would directly deal with Canonical, but maybe they'd pay a company shipping and supporting Linux such as Dell to use Chrome on their setups.

As for how I would feel, in one sense I would be absolutely fine with it. I have the right and the ability to change the defaults but in the same way I believe that technical superiority for the target audience should be the foundation of such defaults not huge sacks with dollar signs on them.

The slippery slope of course is the anti competitive spin this puts on things. It's a little like letting one company short circuit the need for good design and good security to becoming default by adding a sufficient number of money bags onto the scales.

It's not without pitfalls.

[slumbergod]

First thing I end up doing when I clean install a new distro is to remove every application I don't want (which is usually the default ones). Then I add the ones I like. So Chrome coming by default wouldn't phase me one bit. It'd be the first thing to go

[t0p]

why a single default, install both of them. let the user choose.

Why only 2 defaults? Ubuntu could install several and let the user choose.

I can think of: Firefox, Chrome, Chromium, Epiphany, Opera, Konqueror, w3m, Lynx, maybe IE via Wine...

Any more for any more?