- apple-list - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

FYI: Windows XP availability extension?
by billing 09 Oct '08

09 Oct '08

To help clarify the following article, while there doesn't yet seem to be any related material at the Microsoft web site, most major computer manufacturers appear to be saying that Windows XP will continue to be an option on new computer purchases until July, 2009 (as the article states). It should be noted, however, that the program which allowed Windows XP OEM to be purchased apart from the purchase of a new computer has been discontinued and availability will probably dry up before the extension date so, if you were planning on getting a copy of XP to run under VMWare Fusion or the Parallels product, you might not want to wait too long to pick up a copy of XP. Wayne ...from: http://www.informationweek.com/news/windows/operatingsystems/showArticle.jh… Windows XP Gets Reprieve, Yet Again With Vista struggling, Microsoft has extended the period in which it will make XP available for PC makers' downgrade programs. By Paul McDougall InformationWeek October 8, 2008 12:29 PM Windows XP is proving harder to kill than a Halloween vampire. With businesses having all but shunned Windows Vista, Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) has decided to extend the period in which it will make copies of its older sibling available to PC makers. Microsoft originally planned to stop distributing Windows XP media to large OEMs on Jan. 31, 2009, but this week said it would move the deadline to July 31 of next year. A Microsoft spokesman claimed in an e-mail that the move is designed to help businesses upgrade to Vista painlessly. "As more customers make the move to Windows Vista, we want to make sure that they are making that transition with confidence and that it is as smooth as possible. Providing downgrade media for a few more months is part of that commitment," the spokesman said. The fact is, however, that very few large companies are eyeing Vista. A survey released last week by the UK's Corporate IT Forum showed that only 4% of businesses in that country are using Windows Vista on workplace systems, while 35% said they were "not yet interested" in Vista. 58% said they were still using Windows XP, now seven years old. A document obtained by InformationWeek last week revealed that state IT officials in Maine will likely skip Vista and stick with XP until Windows 7 becomes available sometime in 2010. Users have complained about Vista's resource requirements, intrusive security measures and lack of compatibility with older software. Vista's unpopularity in the business world may have forced Microsoft to extend XP's shelf life. The company officially retired the OS in June for most markets, but continues to make XP Professional available to PC makers who offer it as a "downgrade" option from Vista on business systems. Downgrade availability was set to end on Jan. 31 but will now continue through next July. If Microsoft is on schedule with Windows 7, that will leave a gap of just six months between the end of the XP program and Windows 7's availability. It's a sign that Microsoft has conceded that Vista has flopped in the corporate market. Microsoft is hoping Windows 7 will receive a better reception. In an effort to burnish Windows' reputation and pave the way for the next version, the company recently launched a $300 million ad campaign starring Jerry Seinfeld, Bill Gates, and a host of ordinary PC users. The ads make no mention of Vista. Microsoft, however, has warned that Windows 7 and Vista share the same basic architecture. As a result, applications that aren't compatible with Vista won't likely run on Windows 7, either. Microsoft shares were off 2.7% to $22.60 in mid-day trading Wednesday as world financial markets continued their downward slide.

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INTEREST: stopping telemarketing calls using the new https://www.lnnte-dncl.gc.ca/
by billing 03 Oct '08

03 Oct '08

I realize this posting is not really computer related nor even Macintosh related but, since it's tough getting through to the actual site (it's so busy), and it seems like a Very Useful Thing, I hope you will forgive this posting if you already know about the Canadian "Do Not Call" service: ...from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Do_Not_Call_List Canadian Do Not Call List From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The Government of Canada announced on December 13, 2004 that they would introduce legislation to create a Canadian Do Not Call List. The Canadian list follows the model set by the National Do Not Call Registry established in the United States in June 2003. Bill C-37, An Act to amend the Telecommunications Act, S.C. 2005, c.50 was the legislation which followed this announcement. It received royal assent on November 25, 2005 and came into force September 30, 2008. It gives theCanadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) authority to establish a national do not call list, to establish procedures to administer the Act and to levy penalties for violations. Starting September 30, 2008, Canadians began to sign up online at the Do Not Call List website or by calling the toll-free numbers 1-866-580- DNCL (1-866-580-3625) or 1-888-DNCL-TTY (1-888-362-5889). The number of Canadians trying to register on the first day overwhelmed the system bringing the website down eight or nine hours after the official launch.[1] = - = - = - = - = - = The official site is at: https://www.lnnte-dncl.gc.ca/ ...try again later if you get the following message (the site is not broken just very busy): The service is not available. Please try again later. NOTE: this registers your phone number for DoNotCall but there are some exceptions. (Also from the Wikipedia entry: Criticism Professor Michael Geist, an authority on technology, Internet and copyright law and holder of the prestigious Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-Commerce Law at the University of Ottawa has criticized the changes adopted in the amended Act. He observes that the legislation contains too many exemptions. Professor Geist expresses particular concern about the extent and duration of the existing business relationship exception. On March 28, 2008 Professor Geist introduced iOptOut.ca, a free service which assists in the process of creating a personal do not call list. The service notifies callers selected by the user that the individual exercises his or her right under privacy laws not to receive communications from the notified business. It is intended to cover those organizations excluded from the Do Not Call List. You need to register on the iOptOut.ca site before you can avail yourself of that service. Wayne

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INTEREST: US universities see Apple introduce Touch/iPhone developer program for students
by billing 22 Sep '08

22 Sep '08

NOTE: this program is not yet available in Canada. More information can be obtained by leaving questions at: http://developer.apple.com/contact/ ...from: http://developer.apple.com/iphone/program/university.html http://www.macworld.com/article/135675/2008/09/iphone_university.html?t=213 The iPhone Developer University Program is a free program designed for higher education institutions looking to introduce curriculum for developing iPhone or iPod touch applications. The University Program provides a wealth of development resources, sophisticated tools for testing and debugging, and the ability to share applications within the same development team. Institutions can also submit applications for distribution in the App Store. The free iPhone Developer University Program is currently available to accredited, higher education institutions in the United States. The iPhone Developer University Program includes: iPhone SDK iPhone Dev Center Resources Testing on iPhone and iPod touch Internal or App Store distribution Student Development Team The iPhone Developer University Program allows instructors and professors to create a development team with up to 200 students. Development Resources With the suite of sophisticated and elegant tools included in the iPhone SDK, and a wide-range of resources in the iPhone Dev Center, students participating in the class will have everything they need to create innovative applications for iPhone and iPod touch. Testing, Debugging, and Optimizing Students can test, debug, and optimize their applications using Xcode's graphical debugger, or collect real-time performance data in Instruments' timeline view. These powerful optimization tools allow for quick identification of any performance issues. Distributing Applications The iPhone Developer University Program allows students within the same development team to share their applications with each other through email, or by posting them to a private website for presentation and grading purposes. In addition, higher education institutions can submit applications for distribution in the App Store.

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FYI: USB power adapter exchange/safety alert
by billing 22 Sep '08

22 Sep '08

...from: http://www.apple.com/support/usbadapter/exchangeprogram/?sr=hotnews Apple Ultracompact USB Power Adapter Exchange Program Important Safety Notice Today Apple announced the Apple Ultracompact USB Power Adapter Exchange program. Apple has determined that under certain conditions the new ultracompact Apple USB power adapter's metal prongs can break off and remain in a power outlet, creating a risk of electric shock. We have received reports of detached blades involving a very small percentage of the adapters sold, but no injuries have been reported. The ultracompact USB power adapters were supplied with every iPhone 3G sold in the following countries, and may also have been purchased separately as an accessory: US Japan Canada Mexico Several Latin American countries (click here for a detailed list of countries) Note: Apple USB power adapters supplied with original iPhones or supplied with iPhone 3G units sold in other countries are not affected. Customer safety is always Apple's top priority, and therefore we have voluntarily decided to exchange every ultracompact power adapter for a new, redesigned adapter, free of charge. Users with ultracompact power adapters should immediately stop using them until they exchange them for a new, redesigned ultracompact adapter. In the meantime, they should charge their iPhone 3G by connecting it to their computer with the USB cable that came with their iPhone or by using a standard-sized Apple USB Power Adapter (with fold up prongs) or with a third party adapter designed to work with the iPhone, such as a car charger. Identifying your adapter If you purchased an iPhone 3G in any of the countries listed above, you received the ultracompact USB adapter. Compare your USB power adapter to the pictures below. If it matches, we will provide a replacement adapter in exchange for your current one. If you have purchased this ultracompact adapter as a standalone accessory, you may also exchange it for a new one. Replacement adapters have a single green dot on the bottom, like this: If you have an ultracompact adapter with a green dot on the bottom, you already have a new, redesigned adapter and do not need to participate in this exchange program. The Exchange Process Replacement adapters will be available starting Friday, October 10, 2008. There are two ways to exchange your current ultracompact Apple USB power adapter for a new, redesigned adapter. Order a replacement adapter via the web. These replacement adapters will ship within three weeks of your order, starting on Friday, October 10. Exchange your adapter at an Apple Retail Store starting on October 10. We'll need to collect your iPhone 3G's serial number as part of the exchange process. If you apply via the web, you will also need to provide your name and address so that we can send you a new adapter along with a shipment box so that you can return the affected adapter to Apple. If you visit an Apple Retail Store, you need to bring your affected adapter(s) and your iPhone 3G(s) with you to complete the exchange process. If you live in Latin America, we will announce the appropriate exchange program information before October 10. Thank you for your cooperation with this exchange program, and we apologize for any inconvenience.

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FYI: odd MacBook Pro battery behaviour?
by billing 14 Sep '08

14 Sep '08

...from: http://www.macworld.com/article/134496/2008/07/mbpbadbattery.html MacBook Pro Battery Woes Mac 911 Tip of the Week Another year, another iPhone. Reader Bill Grant has a problem with power, specifically the battery in his MacBook Pro. He writes: "Recently, my MacBook Pro has been behaving strangely. I charge the battery over night, yet the battery menu constantly flickers between estimating a fully-charged state and telling me that the battery isn't charging. When running from battery power, I see a readout of about half full and then the computer shuts off abruptly. Any idea what's going on?" It's quite likely you have a bad battery. From the Apple menu, choose About This Mac and then click the More Info button in the resulting window. When System Profiler appears, select the Power entry and eyeball the Health Information entry. If, under Condition, it says "Check Battery," that battery is probably on the fritz. Fortunately, these batteries are under an extended replacement program as they're defective. Apple has issued a document that outlines symptoms a defective battery might exhibit as well as a link to a software update that can fix some battery issues. http://www.apple.com/support/macbook_macbookpro/batteryupdate/ If the software fix doesn't work, you should follow the document's advice and contact Apple about having the battery replaced.

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INTEREST: PRACTICAL TRAVELER - IPHONE E-GUIDES
by billing 06 Sep '08

06 Sep '08

If you've been thinking about Apple's iPhone, this article may give you an idea of the kinds of things it can do.... oh, ya, it's a cell phone and mp3 player too. ::-) If you're interested, I'd suggest reading the NYTimes article below first but then also read the articles at these links to become aware of some of the things you should be aware of when traveling with your iPhone: - Roaming charges - iPhone and international travel: http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=6415357&tstart=0 - solar charger: http://www.iphoneworld.ca/iphone-reviews/2008/04/28/solio-magnesium-review/ - displaying UTC on WorldClock: http://automators.net/news/macosxhints-com/display-utc-on-the-iphone-s-worl… - transfer data from Blackberry, WinMob, to iPhone: http://www.iphoneatlas.com/2008/01/02/missing-sync-for-iphone-migrate-data-… Wayne ....from: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/07/travel/07praciPhone.html?th&emc=th Clueless in Cleveland? Use Your Thumb Doug Panton By MICHELLE HIGGINS Published: September 7, 2008 SURE, you can turn your iPhone into a Star Wars-like light saber, a virtual pet or an interactive mug of beer. But did you know that those newfangled applications can also tell you the nearest sushi bar inLondon, the wait time at La Guardia’s security checkpoints or how to say “Where’s the toilet?” in Cantonese? New iPhone ads: http://www.apple.com/iphone/gallery/ads/ As Apple’s iTunes App Store continues to grow with hundreds of titles, the iPhone is proving to be a useful travel tool — and not just for when you’re bored on that 18-hour flight to Singapore. The best programs take advantage of the iPhone’s location-aware feature, tailoring the information to your whereabouts. Say you land in Baltimore and you have a sudden craving for crab cakes. With a few taps, iPhone apps with names like Yelp, Urbanspoon and iWant can quickly guide you to Faidley Seafood or Obrycki’s Crab House. Other apps can point you to the cheapest gas station, book a hotel and even call a cab. Below are some of the handiest apps for travel. Many are free, though some cost from 99 cents to $24.99. Warning: Some apps require data downloads that may incur roaming fees if you’re overseas. To avoid such fees, turn off “Data Roaming” and look for Wi-Fi hot spots. Getting There A number of airlines are creating mobile-friendly versions of their Web sites, allowing iPhone users to shop for flights, buy tickets, check in, select seats and modify reservations. Now, at least one, British Airways, has a free downloadable iPhone app that makes finding the next red eye to London as easy as flicking your thumb. Frequent fliers might want to download Flight Status ($3.99). It gives the status of thousands of flights, as well as the arrival gates and baggage carousels. Another app that can be useful for today’s delay- plagued skies is AirportStatus (free). It displays a list of airports in North America with delays or closings. Travelocity (free) takes an all-in-one approach, letting you check flight schedules, gate numbers, security wait times and — if you booked through Travelocity — your itinerary. The app also lets you search for “Hotels Nearby Me” — a feature that could come in handy in travel emergencies (or, perhaps, for some other purpose). Where to Eat Looking for a place to nosh on the road? Urbanspoon (free) recommends restaurants in more than 50 cities using the iPhone’s location-aware capability and offers reviews from newspapers, blogs and fellow users. While suggestions (and prices) can be out of date, the fun and easy-to-use app looks like a slot machine and is activated by shaking the phone. Foodies, however, might prefer Local Eats (99 cents), an iPhone version of the guidebook series “Where the Locals Eat,” which ranks what it considers the top 100 restaurants in 50 American cities. Tapping “Near Me” finds places nearby from that list, along with reservation numbers and directions. What to Do Need an A.T.M.? Thirsty for a sakitini? Shopping for a Marni purse? Several location-aware apps are vying to be your mobile concierge. Among the best are Yelp (free), which has a fanatical base of reviewers who weigh in on everything from dry cleaners to karaoke bars. Where (free) lets you scroll through different services (like Starbucks, gas stations and restaurants) and plots them on a Google Map, along with your location. And iWant (free) offers a similar service, but in a streamlined interface with clean black-and-white icons: a martini for bars, a projector for movies, a hanger for clothing stores, and so on. Traditional travel guides are getting into the action, with mixed results. Frommer’s has turned several of its guides, including New York, Paris and London, into iPhone apps ($9.99 each). The e-guides offer many of the same maps, reviews and suggested itineraries as the bulky book. But unlike Yelp, Frommer’s doesn’t take advantage of location-aware technology; you still must look up the suggestions manually, as with a book.Washingtonpost.com’s City Guide app (free) is smarter; it lets users easily navigate through 2,000 bars and restaurants, many with well-written reviews. Unfortunately, it is limited to the Washington area. How to say it A handful of apps seek to lower the language barrier. Lonely Planet ($9.99) offers phrasebook apps in 10 languages including Czech, Italian and Vietnamese. In addition to translating phrases like “I’ll buy you a drink,” in written text, the app also translates it verbally (“Te invito a una copa,” it says in Spanish, in a suave male voice). A different approach is taken by Babelingo ($5.99), which may appeal to those afraid of mangling pronunciations. After choosing a phrase like “Please take me to the airport,” it displays the translation in big bold type, making it easier to show to someone, like a taxi driver. Babelingo offers 300 phrases in seven languages, including Italian, German and Japanese. How to Get Around Numerous subway and mass-transit apps are available for major cities, with the best offering clean design, location-based station finders and service advisories. Worthwhile apps include CityTransit (for New York City, $2.99), Tube London City ($9.99) and iBart (for the San Francisco area, free). Taxi! (free) has a yellow cab-inspired design and finds taxi services throughout the United States based on your location. Just tap one of the companies, and the iPhone dials it for you. It also offers user ratings, whether the company accepts credit cards and, according to the App Store’s description, a prescreened list based on hotel referrals. Cool Tools Until Skype creates an iPhone app, Truphone may be the closest thing. It allows you to make cheap international phone calls over Wi-Fi (about 6 cents a minute to landlines and 30 cents to mobile phones), especially when compared with roaming rates. Some kinks need to be worked out — voice quality can be poor and calls didn’t always go through. How much is that Chinese wardrobe in dollars? Currency (free) is a frequently updated converter for more than 50 currencies. Easier to use is MOMPF Currency Converter (free), which has a funny-looking cartoon for a mascot, and allows you to easily switch among currencies and to store favorites.

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Oooops. Sorry about that last post. Mistyped address.
by billing 06 Sep '08

06 Sep '08

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INTEREST: George Carlin: Baseball vs Football
by billing 06 Sep '08

06 Sep '08

(one of his non-bitter compairsons ::-) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-gakLqibP4

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FYI: some Macs work with 64-bit Vista...
by billing 05 Sep '08

05 Sep '08

Most everyone will just pass over this item, I know, but if you need 64-bit Vista support, I hope this helps... ...from: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1846?viewlocale=en_US Boot Camp: Macs that work with 64-bit editions of Microsoft Windows Vista Last Modified: May 07, 2008 Article: HT1846 Summary 64-bit editions of Microsoft Windows Vista are supported on certain Intel-based Macs via Boot Camp. (Boot Camp is included with Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard). Products Affected Boot Camp, Microsoft Windows Vista (64 bit editions) These Macs support 64-bit editions of Windows Vista: MacPro (Early 2008) MacBook Pro (15-inch Early 2008) MacBook Pro (17-inch Early 2008) Important: Information about products not manufactured by Apple is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute Apple’s recommendation or endorsement. Please contact the vendor for additional information. = - = - = - = - = - = - = [thanks, Doug. Wayne]

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INTEREST: Windows VISTA/XP get another web browser - from Google
by billing 03 Sep '08

03 Sep '08

Why another web browser? ...from: http://www.google.com/chrome/intl/en/why.html?hl=en A fresh take on the browser At Google, we spend much of our time working inside a browser. We search, chat, email and collaborate in a browser. And like all of you, in our spare time, we shop, bank, read news and keep in touch with friends - all using a browser. People are spending an increasing amount of time online, and they're doing things never imagined when the web first appeared about 15 years ago. Since we spend so much time online, we began seriously thinking about what kind of browser could exist if you started from scratch and built on the best elements out there. We realized that the web had evolved from mainly simple text pages to rich, interactive applications and that we needed to completely rethink the browser. What we really needed was not just a browser, but also a modern platform for web pages and applications, and that's what we set out to build. So today we're releasing the beta version of a new open source browser: Google Chrome. On the surface, we designed a browser window that is streamlined and simple. To most people, it isn't the browser that matters. It's only a tool to run the important stuff - the pages, sites and applications that make up the web. Like the classic Google homepage, Google Chrome is clean and fast. It gets out of your way and gets you where you want to go. Under the hood, we were able to build the foundation of a browser that runs today's complex web applications much better . By keeping each tab in an isolated "sandbox", we were able to prevent one tab from crashing another and provide improved protection from rogue sites. We improved speed and responsiveness across the board. We also built V8, a more powerful JavaScript engine, to power the next generation of web applications that aren't even possible in today's browsers. This is just the beginning - Google Chrome is far from done. We've released this beta for Windows to start the broader discussion and hear from you as quickly as possible. We're hard at work building versions for Mac and Linux too, and we'll continue to make it even faster and more robust. We owe a great debt to many open source projects, and we're committed to continuing on their path. We've used components from Apple's WebKit and Mozilla's Firefox, among others - and in that spirit, we are making all of our code open source as well. We hope to collaborate with the entire community to help drive the web forward. The web gets better with more options and innovation. Google Chrome is another option, and we hope it contributes to making the web even better. New CHROME features: http://www.google.com/chrome/intl/en/features.html?hl=en ...from: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/02/technology/02google.html?th&emc=th Microsoft Faces New Browser Foe in Google By STEVE LOHR Published: September 1, 2008 The browser war is back on. GraphicJoining the Party RelatedTimes Topics: Google Inc.Webcast: Google Chrome AnnouncementGoogle Chome (Beta) This time, Microsoft’s opponent isGoogle, a familiar foe. On Tuesday, Google will release a free Web browser called Chrome that the company said would challenge Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, as well as the Firefox browser. The browser is a universal doorway to the Internet, and the use of Internet software and services is rapidly growing. Increasingly, the browser is also the doorway to the Web on cellphones and other mobile devices, widening the utility of the Web and Web advertising. Google, analysts say, cannot let Microsoft’s dominant share of the browser market go without a direct challenge. Google already competes with Microsoft in online search and Internet advertising. They both make operating software for cellphones. Google is increasingly competing with Microsoft head-on in software that handles basic productivity like word processing, spreadsheet, presentation and e-mail programs. Google has Web-based software in these markets that are low-cost or free alternatives to Microsoft’s lucrative desktop software. Despite the frequent clashes with Microsoft — including the role Google played in thwarting an attempted acquisition ofYahoo — Google has come out on top only in search and search advertising. But Google does not have to win the browser war. Strategically, opening yet another front against Microsoft forces it to divert resources to defend franchises. Now, Chrome heightens the rivalry and marks a shift for Google, which has strongly backed Firefox, the open-source browser that has gained about a fifth of the market against the dominant Internet Explorer. Google’s browser project has been under way for more than a year, a person close to the company said. In a brief statement, Microsoft welcomed the new entry and expressed confidence that people would prefer Explorer, which is on every Windows PC sold. “The browser landscape is highly competitive,” said Dean Hachamovitch, general manager of the Internet Explorer group. “But people will choose Internet Explorer 8 for the way it puts the services they want right at their fingertips, respects their personal choices about how they want to browse and, more than any other browsing technology, puts them in control of their personal data online.” Google has clashed with Microsoft before, saying it had designed IE to gain ground in search, a market where Google is the runaway leader. After Microsoft introduced IE 7 in 2006, Google complained that the browser’s search box favored Microsoft’s search service. Microsoft responded and made modifications, and a federal judge overseeing the antitrust consent decree against Microsoft determined that the browser design was not anticompetitive. The first round of the browser wars in the 1990s led to a sweeping federal antitrust suit against Microsoft for the tactics it used to stifle competition from the commercial pioneer in browsing software, Netscape Communications. A federal appeals court ruled in 2001 that Microsoft had repeatedly violated the nation’s antitrust laws. Microsoft later reached a settlement with the Bush administration, which included some sanctions but left the company free to bundle browsing software with Windows, which runs more than 90 percent of all personal computers. Microsoft recently stepped up its own browser development efforts, given the increasing importance of the browser and signs that Firefox is nibbling at its lead. Microsoft released a new version, IE8, last week to generally favorable reviews. Microsoft still holds 73 percent of the browser market, according to Net Applications, a research firm. The market share for Firefox has climbed to 19 percent, while Apple’s Safari has 6 percent. Chrome also puts Google in competition with an ally, the Mozilla Corporation, which manages the Firefox project. Just last week, Google renewed its deal with Mozilla. Under the arrangement, Google Search is the home page for Firefox and Google is its default search bar, and Google makes substantial payments to Mozilla. The agreement runs through November 2011, and will continue. Google’s cooperation with Mozilla, however friendly, meant that it was ceding control of the Internet’s vital gateway technology — and the dominant supplier of that technology is its archrival, Microsoft. Given the increasing importance of the browser and its widening competition with Microsoft, Google’s entry into the market is not surprising, said John Lilly, chief executive of Mozilla. “It would be more surprising to me if Google didn’t do something in the browser space,” Mr. Lilly said. “After all, Google is 100 percent on the Web.” Google’s move, he said, would put “more competitive pressure on us to keep coming up with great browser technology. But having more smart people competing to improve browser technology and the user experience is a good thing.” Mr. Lilly also noted that Mozilla, while a private company, is entirely owned by the Mozilla Foundation. The browser project was begun to provide an alternative to Microsoft’s browser. “The mission of Mozilla is to keep the Web open, a pure public benefit,” he said. “Others have other motivations and Google’s move also serves to highlight our position in the marketplace.” Chrome will be available to download in a test, or beta, version on Tuesday, Google announced on its Web siteMonday afternoon. The browser will run on Windows. Google is also working on Chrome versions for Apple’s Macintosh, as well as Linux, an open source operating system. In a curious twist, Google made its online announcement after its plans appeared as a digital “comic book” that was posted by Google Blogoscoped, a Web site that tracks the Internet search giant. According to Google’s Web site post, by Sundar Pichai, an engineering director and vice president for product management, Chrome is designed for speed and ease of use. But the other design goal, it seems, was to make sure Google could control how well the growing range of Web-based software it is developing will perform, instead of having to run on a Microsoft browser. “Under the hood,” Mr. Pichai wrote, “we were able to build the foundation of a browser that runs today’s complex Web applications much better.” Later, he wrote, “we improved speed and responsiveness across the board. We also built a more powerful JavaScript engine, V8, to power the next generation of Web applications that aren’t even possible in today’s browsers.” Chrome is based on an open-source rendering engine, WebKit, and an open-source version of Google’s Gears technology. Chrome will also be able to run in a privacy mode, InCognito, so that no information about a person’s browsing is collected. With IE8 last week, Microsoft added a privacy mode of browsing, called InPrivate. The privacy features, analysts note, could undercut the Internet advertising business of Google, but also Microsoft, Yahoo and others that depend on ads aimed at users based on their browsing behavior. But it is unclear, analysts say, how large a share of users will opt for the privacy browsing mode and give up the convenience of having a browser store sites recently visited in tabbed settings for easy navigation.

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