Google Readies Its Own Web Browser, Taking On Microsoft and Firefox

SAN FRANCISCO - Google is set to enter the browser wars this week with software called Chrome, according to people briefed on the project — a move that would put the search giant in direct competition with both Microsoft's Internet Explorer and its longtime partner Firefox.

The browser, built for speed and for running web applications like Google's Docs and Gmail, is expected to be released in a test version for Windows computers as early as Tuesday, with versions for Mac and Linux to follow.

Google has funded Mozilla's Firefox for years through a search partnership. Chrome would compete with it directly, though Google says the project shares Firefox's open-source underpinnings.

The real target, analysts say, is Microsoft's Internet Explorer, which still holds roughly three-quarters of the browser market. Every search performed in another company's browser is a step between Google and its users.

"Google's business depends on the web being fast, open and ad-friendly. A browser of its own is the logical endgame," said an industry analyst.

The news leaked over the weekend through a comic book Google produced to explain the browser's design, which circulated online before the company confirmed anything.

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