New Delhi: While you were busy creating new tunes with the Google doodle version of the Moog Synthesizer on your non-Chrome Web browser a little link below the doodle may have missed your eye. It says "Upgrade to a modern browser and see what this doodle can really do" and leads to a Google Chrome download page that suggests that Google doodles are best experienced on Google Chrome.
With the interactive musical doodle in honour of Robert Arthur Moog, popularly known as Bob Moog, users can not only create their own music using the digital 24-key keyboard but also use the volume, mixer, oscillators, filter and envelope controls to tweak the sound. Logged in Google users can also record and share their compositions on the Moog Google doodle synthesizer on Google Plus. Other users can also record their compositions and get a short g.co URL leading to a version of the Google home page that plays the recorded music.
Chrome had recently overtaken long-time Web browser leader Internet Explorer in Web analytics company StatCounter's figures and Google does not seem to be willing to give away any of its lead and is therefore using its immensely popular doodles to further push its browser.
According to Google all other Web browsers are not modern, as the link to upgrade to a "modern browser" appears on all other popular Web browsers - Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Apple Safari and Opera.
Also there doesn't seem to be much of a difference in the doodle experience on most of the other leading non-Chrome browsers as compared to that on Google Chrome. The difference is under the hood. On Google Chrome, the sound is generated natively using the Web Audio API while on other browsers the Flash plugin is used.
Google has been employing un-Google like approaches such as full page ads in newspapers, outdoor hoardings and television commercials for its Chrome push and even tactics that do not augur well with its "Don't be evil" motto.
Previously, Google displayed a "You'll soon lose the ability to edit this presentation" alert to Firefox users trying to create a presentation on Google Docs and prompted them to upgrade to a 'modern browser'. Interestingly according to Google Docs system requirements Firefox is fully supported.
Now Google's innovative doodles are also becoming a tool in fulfilling Google's goal of browser domination. Google seems to be sacrificing cross-browser capabilities in a blatant effort to push forward Chrome. It is the leverage of Google's overwhelming Internet presence that has helped Chrome adoption accelerate. Now it is the same presence that Google is apparently misusing.
Chrome which was launched in 2008, has in a span of a few years posed a serious threat to the dominance of Internet Explorer which Mozilla's open source Firefox, inspite of its loyal following, couldn't.
####Watch: How to use the Robert Moog Google doodle
Google doodles
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