[rbanffy]

> In what alternate universe is it a good idea for Microsoft to attempt to convert their users to a non-Microsoft browser (from Microsoft's stand-point)?

Exactly.

It's stupid for Microsoft, but everyone else would benefit from no longer having to cope with Internet Explorer. Heck. Even Microsoft would stop spending money developing their browsers and that would certainly improve their bottom line (much like abandoning MeeGo will improve Nokia's). As it is, Microsoft does whatever benefits them, regardless of how much it does hurt everybody else.

[coderdude]

The only people "coping" with IE are Web developers. Most users that have something greater than IE6 never even notice that poor experience nor do they know any better to begin with -- I don't even think a lot of users could tell the difference if you showed them. Try showing your grandmother why Chrome is better. I know I would have a hard time "selling it."

>Heck. Even Microsoft would stop spending money developing their browsers and that would certainly improve their bottom line

Are you just anti-Microsoft trolling? This doesn't follow any kind of logic. "They would sure benefit from having millions of users not use their Web browser." What?

[ElliotH]

Some of the least technically inclined people I know massively prefer Chrome to Internet Explorer. Chrome has a noticeable speed advantage, nags less and within an hours casual use it has their favorite sites one click away when they open the browser. These are all noticeable improvements, even to users who couldn't care less about web standards.

[Macha]

It's also much easier to sell Chrome than, e.g. Firefox. My current browser of choice is Firefox 4, but whenever I'm setting up someone's computer, I give them Chrome.

If I gave them Firefox, they'll have the attitude of "I want the old one back!". For chrome however, they already use Google, so they're happy using "Google" to view other pages. And while I worry a little about Possibly accidentally creating a Google = the Internet opinion in them, transparent automatic updates prevent this having consequences like the IE = the Internet attitude others have.

[rbanffy]

> Possibly accidentally creating a Google = the Internet opinion

Well... At least they have a "don't be evil" in their corporate values. ;-)

[neutronicus]

I tried to get my open source-hostile roomate to care about firefox for a year and a half and he never gave a shit, and then one day he downloaded Chrome and never looked back. Something about how it had the most room for the page.