Google Paying for Firefox Installs

slashkitty writes "Google updated their AdSense service to pay publishers for referrals. What's interesting is that now they pay publishers $1 US for each FireFox download with the Google Toolbar installed. Is this the bump that Firefox needs to boost downloads? Will Google be able to pay the millions for all the downloads?"

Hmmm... I think it's time to upgrade

all the Firefox installs at the lab here. I'll even download them a few times each for every system, to make sure it downloads properly.

Bloody optimists...

Will Google be able to pay the millions for all the downloads?

Google has, what, three billion dollars in cash?

Will Google be able to pay the millions for all the downloads?

Don't you think it's a bit too optimistic to expect "millions of downloads"?

Re:Bloody optimists...

I think it invites a massive fraud potential which not only drains money, but bandwidth.

Re:Bloody optimists...

Don't you think it's a bit too optimistic to expect "millions of downloads"?

I'll tell you what I expect - a whole slew of forwarded emails from parents and friends I don't keep in touch with much anymore that read, "In response to Google offerring to pay $1 for people to download the FireFox browser, Bill Gates is willing to pay YOU $1 for every person you forward this email to!"

Payment...

When a user you've referred to AdSense first earns US $100, we'll credit your AdSense account with US $100. When a user you've referred to Firefox plus Google Toolbar runs Firefox for the first time, you'll receive up to $1 in your account, depending on the user's location.And: Will Google be able to pay the millions for all the downloads?

Easily. If Google can pay the $100, the $1 (1%) will be no probelm especially since there's a disclaimer - the depending on the user's location part.

Spyware

I'm sure Google is completely innocent of spyware, but I'm resisting installing the Google toolbar in Firefox, or IE. There's already a Google search bar in Firefox, and I've been anti-addon-toolbar for years now, since every unstable system I've worked on had at least one of them. When the great Google Toolbar Trap is sprung, I'll be on the outside of the box, thank you very much.

Re:Spyware

What's great about the Google toolbar in Firefox is just how configurable it is. I've only kept a couple of buttons from it on the left side of my menubar. Really, if this were bundled with Firefox, it would seem harmless enough to not bother me. What I like about Google is that they didn't force Firefox users to display the toolbar in some sort of a monolithic way. It's just as configurable as all the UI elements that come standard with Firefox.

Able to pay?

Will Google be able to pay all those million? Get a grip! They've been paying millions for all those open-source programmers that are working on Open Office and other programs.

They want to hurt Micro$oft, and paying a couple of hundred million to make Firefox hit critical mass is just small change to a company with a few billion to spread around.

When Firefox DOES hit critical mass, which means that web developers HAVE to create web apps that render/function correctly in Firefox, people will have less reason to stick with IE, adding more impetous to the Firefox migration, and weakening the MS lock-in on the web.

Re:Able to pay?

> Will Google be able to pay all those million?

Does you have any idea what a toolbar user is worth to Google? Conservative estimates are around $50 per year per user, due to the searchers clicking on Google Adwords advertisements that show in the search results.

It's win-win for Google: they generate far more revenue per user than they shell out; they promote open source (ie "do no evil"); and they hurt their primary competitor, MSN, to boot.

One other way..

This is pretty good move from google. They know it is not possible to bundle with IE. The next best is to push with other alternative that is firefox. The advantage for google is to tap potential customers(?) who use Mac OS or Linux or Windows.

Huh? and yes.

It seems to me that when posting a story like this, at least one of the links should lead to something that actually discusses the subject of the article.

Here is a link to the actual section of the Google AdSense FAQ that mentions the dollar per Firefox install:

http://www.google.com/support/adsense/bin/answer.p y?answer=27406&ctx=en:search&query=firefox&topic=0 &type=f [google.com]

Also, Google currently has over 7.5 billion dollars [yahoo.com] in the bank, so yeah, they could pay one dollar for EVERY PERSON ON EARTH to install Firefox and not go broke.

There are still some reasons to use IE...

I still use internet explorer (yea yea..) mostly because I don't want to install anything more than I have to. Windows is bloated enough as-is, and I don't need or want extra luggage attatched to my everyday computing. I've actually found that IE is fairly non-obtrusive if you turn all the extra crap off. I guess I've just found that I don't often use Firefox's extra features. I generally browse one page at a time, and I don't use my web browser for anything much more than reading the news (/.) or checking my email.

Google vs. Microsoft

Now, I agree with those people who think Google is basically a good company. However I also think one of the major reasons they are doing this is because Google want to make sure that Firefox's taking over from IE continues, as based on past experience, if Microsoft can keep IE in a monopoly position, it's only a matter of time until various bits of Google start getting "accidentially broken" during IE service packs. Also spreading firefox stops an increase in IE-only websites.

So in conclusion, Firefox gets some more installs, Google gets some more google toolbar installs, lots of websites gain "install firefox" links, IE loses a bit more market share and Google loses a bit of spare change. Everyone wins, except those people we don't like :)

Re:Google vs. Microsoft

Sorry to bitchslap you with facts, but Google just introduced a major desktop product based entirely on IE and COM/ActiveX infrastructure. Just the kind of Internet product that Microsoft has been talking about since Pearl Harbor Day, 1995.

If Google actually thought that way, they would build their stuff on Mozilla technology. But facts speak louder than words.

Google is now the 'Killer App'

1$ is a small price to pay to spread their wings like this. Google has the branding for their website, of which google has become a household term in the American language. They support IE for its massive install base, but I think its pretty clear Google wants its own software, and who can blame them!

Google makes stuff good enough you actually want it. Are you listening, Linux on the Desktop Zealots? Half of all articles on /. talk about how Linux is "oh so close", and has been for years. In that time, I've been a linux supporter, I have a linux machine -- but now all my machines look more like Google machines than Linux or Windows. See the comparison here too with iPod/iTunes? Apple made a player that you would actually want, and sold music in a format you would actually want.

~Rebecca

Millions?

"Will Google be able to pay the millions for all the downloads?"

Checks NYSE.... Do you suppose? Since we're talking about a lot less than "millions", more like a million or so on a good year here on out. That's for all installs, not the fraction of installs with google toolbar.

Since the data/referals they'll get will grow/improve significantly. I would imagine that this is a screaming deal for all parties.

Personally, I doubt I'll use it. The last thing I need is another toolbar I don't use (actually I would use the spell check, but that's a lot of real estate to give up to somthing that should be on the tools menu). The search bar is already more than I want. By more I mean I generally turn it of an use keywords to forward search terms to google from the address bar.

Google has no choice but to push firefox

Google has no choice but to push firefox as hard as they can. The are facing a threat from the next version of windows / ie. Without a doubt MS is going to use their monopoly desktop to force people to msn search by embedding it into windows. Google should have already been doing this 6 mos ago including a direct download link right on the home page. Same thing goes for open office they need to be using it as a weapon right now also.

Re:Google has no choice but to push firefox

Without a doubt MS is going to use their monopoly desktop to force people to msn search by embedding it into windows

Do you have a reference for this assertion?

gmail, openoffice , firefox?

Hmm... a scenario:

Google starts providing OpenOffice as a client-side components within Firefox, perhaps downloaded as XPCOM [mozilla.org] components, perhaps using the GoogleToolbar as the entry point. The browser now provides straightforward access to both thin and thick client functionality.

The gmail, google maps, etc interfaces are melded in too, providing a uniform interface to a free persistent 'office environment' that people can access through any browser, anywhere, with temporary working files stored locally for performance and content network-backed to Google's servers...

This could explain Microsoft's recent launch of Windows Live [itnewsonline.com] as - perhaps - a preemptive defensive maneuvour.

Bump to boost downloads?

Er... no.

That's Google trying to control the plataform. They can contribute to Firefox, either hacking its source or creating extensions. Imagine Firefox with IE marketshare, ~85%, and Google releasing a new product tomorrow, integrated with their Toolbar, on all those desktops.

Plus, Javascript/DOM/XUL support made exactly the way they want.

There's always a catch...

When a user you've referred to Firefox plus Google Toolbar runs Firefox for the first time, you'll receive up to $1 in your account, depending on the user's location.

Emphasis mine.

This implies that if a user's computer has ever had Firefox installed before, it's ineligible for a referral. Also note "up to" a buck, which implies many users (I'd guess users outside of the United States, but it's not stated anywhere I can readily find) will yield less.

Edit: Found some fine print, where it explicity states the PC must never have had Firefox installed before, regardless of the presence or absence of the Google Toolbar. I imagine a LOT of folks have downloaded Firefox, played with it, then uninstalled it, which means AdSense users don't get kickbacks.

I've put up a link on my site regardless, but I'm not expecting BIG CASH PRIZES.

..with google toolbar?

The part that scares me is the "download firefox with google toolbar" part. I hope the official builds never include the google toolbar, that would be like IE bundeling Alexa or something. If people want that toolbar they can go get it. Personally I think the toolbar is very bad. First most of its features are already in Firefox, and the only useful feature that isn't, pagerank, is a major privacy concern since it clearly said it sends every URL you visit to google. So no thx.

Re:Just you wait!

Yeah, when I read this I compulsivley ducked in fear of flying office furniture.

Actually 7.1 *billion*

Ok, so I lied -- I found the Fiscal Year 2004 balance sheets, instead of Google's most recent quarterly report. which you can find here [sec.gov]. Google does have 7.1 billion in cash and marketable securities. 10 or 20 or even 30 million is rounding Error. Unless every man, woman, and child on the planet decides to download Firefox, Google is fine here.

6 billion and counting, I think

I saw a reference the other day that suggested that Google now has more ad revenue than any print company. I'm sorry I didn't bookmark it, but it may well be true. Newsprint is paid for mainly by commercial ads and classified ads. Google is doing well on the commercial side. If as rumored they get in on the classified ads as well they could take a whole chunk off of eBay (lots of eBay users really do not want auctions and "buy it now" dilutes the brand) as well as taking another chunk out of print media. Tie classified ads to Google maps and you could apply serious traction to the job ad market, house sales...

Anybody who thinks "only search as a product" neither understands Google nor the power of search.