Google CEO Reiterates Concerns Over IE7

The next release of Microsoft's Internet Explorer continues to concern Google, which nonetheless has no plans to develop a competing browser, Google CEO Eric Schmidt said today.

Microsoft is currently beta-testing IE7, which contains a search box whose drop-down menu is set by default to use the company's search engine but includes other options as well. Google executives have in recent months complained about this, and Schmidt reiterated their concern.

"We want to make sure that the use of the power of Windows is done in a correct and legally appropriate way," Schmidt said in a question-and-answer session with financial analysts and investors that was presented as a Webcast.

Google has complained to the U.S. Department of Justice and to the European Commission about this issue. However, the DOJ this month dismissed the concerns as groundless.

Shoe on Other Foot?

Google critics have also pointed out that the company's grievance is inconsistent with the fact that Mozilla's Firefox browser has a similar search box that defaults to the Google search engine.

Schmidt said that Google has no intention of developing its own browser because it doesn't see a user need for it, given the many good options available in the market--such as Firefox, IE, Apple Computer's Safari, and Opera Software's Opera.

"We would make the decision based on what end users want" and not to make a defensive move against competitors, he said. "You have a number of fine browsers. People have good choices."