I partially agree. They created a monopoly because they offer the best search engine service. You can’t be accused of making a monopoly if your competition is embarrassingly bad and no one wants to use any service but yours.
What they are doing now, regardless of how they gained this monopoly, is ensuring that every cow that feeds on the grass of their field yields profitable milk.
They are still going to pursue it, just under a different name and rolling-out timeline. What they changed is only the way they are announcing it publicly.
It’s going to be “DRM for the Web, but with extra steps”.
The timing couldn’t be better. For me, the only thing missing from Firefox for Android (or, even better, Mull) was a translation feature; otherwise, it was perfect. The lack of translation was the only reason I found myself opening the Chrome app, and I am eagerly looking forward to no longer needing it.
I was once a fervent supporter of Google, but now see it moving towards Apple’s approach. This shift doesn’t feel like the result of malicious intent on the part of Google’s engineers, but rather a change driven by non-technical roles (business, marketing, …) aiming to boost revenue margins. When these roles lead a company’s direction, you can already hear the ticking clock of its fate.