Google Scores Shiny Chrome Deal With Sony

Google's Chrome exited beta last December, well ahead of when you might normally expect a Google product to do so. It wasn't, however, because the browser was necessarily ready for prime time; it was because OEMs would not pre-install a beta product on their computers, and Google longed for those deals.

It's finally managed to ink such a deal, with Sony. Google spokesperson Eitan Bencuya said the deal went into effect his summer. No details were given, such as financial terms (which we wouldn't have expected), but not even the models that Chrome is installed on, either.

Internet Explorer's market share continues to drop, but it still dominates the browser market. Some of that, however, is because the browser is integrated with Windows. According to Net Applications, in July Microsoft's Internet Explorer has a 67.7 percent market share, followed by the Mozilla Foundation's Firefox, with 22.5 percent, and Apple Inc's Safari, with 4 percent. Chrome lags in 4th with 2.59 percent.