Following an overhyped post-launch download frenzy, reality is setting in for Google Chrome. Google launched its own breed of open-source browser at the start of September 2008, and managed to cause strong reverberations across the market, only to settle in the cozy under 1% usage share segment two months later, where all percentages were equivalent to pseudo-anonymity. The fact that Google Chrome continues to be in Beta, a label that fails to recommend the software as a viable alternative for Internet Explorer or Firefox, has been, of course, contributing to this.

At the debut of September, Google delivered what it referred to as a “fresh take on the browser,” namely a new open-source project based on the WebKit rendering engine, already being used in the Android OS. Chrome's initial uptake recommended the newcomer to the browser market as a threat to IE and Firefox, especially with Google's domination in terms of Internet search engines. After just a month on the market, Google Chrome jumped past Opera, according to Net Applications, and over the 1% usage share worldwide.

However, despite the initial disruption, Chrome's usage share has dropped to approximately half of its peak. According to Internet metrics company OneStat, “Google's Chrome browser has only a small global usage share of 0.54% since the introduction. Microsoft's Internet Explorer dominates the browser market with a global usage share of 81.36%. In February, the total global usage share of Microsoft's Internet Explorer was 83.27%. The most popular browser on the Internet is Explorer 7, with a global usage share of 56.68%. Mozilla's global usage share has increased 0.90% since February. The global usage share of Mozilla is 14.67%.”

In comparison to these numbers, data from Net Applications indicated that, at the start of November 2008, Internet Explorer enjoyed an usage share of 71.27%, while Firefox was credited with 19.97% and Google Chrome with just 0.74%. The drop in Chrome usage could be attributed to the inherent issues associated with Beta software. By Google's own confirmation, Chrome users hit a range of plugin compatibility issues related especially with the ubiquitous Adobe Flash.

The past week, Sundar Pichai, Google vice president, Product Management, revealed to The Times that the Mountain View-based Internet giant was exploring scenarios in which Chrome would be preloaded onto OEM computers. Google currently estimates that a problem-free variant of Chrome would be made available for download in early 2009. However, Google has an extremely poor history of taking products and services out of Beta, with a variety of projects seemingly stuck in this perpetual development milestone.

Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 is available for download here.

Google Chrome is available for download here.

Firefox 3.1 Beta 1 for Windows is available for download here.