The Motorola DROID Bionic is out. It’s been a long time coming, but it’s finally here. And with it, there’s a new lapdock. Well, new in the sense that it’s a new accessory for Verizon, but it’s the same lapdock we saw release with the Motorola ATRIX 4G way back in the day. While some would argue that the lapdock is just too expensive to actually take seriously, there are some folks out there who actually like the idea of plugging their phone into a laptop-like device, and keeping everything contained. If you’re someone who’s looked at the lapdock for your next purchase, especially with the recent release of the Bionic, then you’ve probably noticed that Mozilla’s Firefox web Browser is the Browser of choice for the lapdock. That’s an issue.
First, let’s just get out of the way that up until the planned acquisition of Motorola by Google, this wasn’t an issue. Why? Because Motorola and Google weren’t in that kind of relationship. Before that planned acquisition, Motorola was just another manufacturer making Android phones. Because of that, the manufacturer could do whatever it wanted when it came to its products, especially including an accessory. They want Mozilla’s Firefox Browser to the Browser of choice? So be it. Google can’t say much – it’s all part of Android’s open nature. (It helps that Firefox is a Browser available to download on the Android platform proper, I imagine.) But, things have changed.
Things have changed, or will change, because Google is acquiring Motorola. And this article is directly focused on Motorola, their lapdock, and the fact that Motorola released it again with Mozilla’s Firefox as the Browser of choice. The issue here should be pretty obvious, but let me just outline it real quick. Google Chrome should be the Browser of choice on the Motorola lapdock, which can only be used with specific Motorola-branded Android-based devices. I think that Motorola should have made the necessary change to make Chrome the Browser on the lapdock, and even provided some kind of update through the Motorola ATRIX 4G to replace Firefox with Chrome on the original lapdock.
Chrome should be the Browser on the Motorola lapdock because it’s powered by an Android phone, and Chrome is every bit a product of Google that Android is. There shouldn’t be any sort of chasm between Android devices – there’s already enough of that between devices themselves, and Android versions out in the wild. There doesn’t need to be any more added to the pile. And, yes, having Firefox on the lapdock is a minor issue, but it is one, I believe. I’ll just go ahead and say it: I think the Web browsing experience would be better with Chrome installed, and not Firefox. I’m not saying that it’s horrible with Firefox; I’m just saying it would probably be better with Chrome.
Honestly, I feel like Google launches all of these products, but that the company isn’t really trying to string them together. Sure, you’ve got the option, but then leaving it up to anyone else means that the services don’t get used, or might not get used. Google has these things, so manufacturers need to use them. More to the point, Google should make these products front-and-center. Instead of Facebook Sync, how about Google+ Sync? (Crazy, I know – I know! Some of those folks are probably in your Google Contacts already, but not all of them. So where’s the choice?) Google Chrome on the Motorola Lapdock instead of Firefox. Any other number of situations we can put in here go ahead and put in here.
Google’s products are some of the best out there, so why not use them? That’s my question. Chrome on the lapdock shouldn’t be something that doesn’t happen – it should be the stock experience.
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