zlacker

The biggest reason I stick with Chrome is how easy it is to resume your work on a new machine. You just log into your Google account and boom, all of your data and extensions start syncing in the background. With Firefox, I've to log into a new FF account and then log into my Gmail again anyway. I admit I'm lazy but for me, ergonomics usually comes before ideology.

>>rednaf+(OP)
more like vendor lock

>>microm+c
"I prefer the way this vendor does things" is not vendor lockin.

"I hate the way this vendor does things, but I'm locked in and can't leave" is vendor lockin.

>>rednaf+(OP)
This is only true for your Google account, right? You're not magically logged into HN already on the new machine? Chrome isn't actually syncing your cookies, it's just that logging into the browser logs you into all your Google apps too.

Firefox syncs extensions, preferences, open tabs, etc. The only thing it can't do is automatically log into Google, but having to enter one extra username/password one time per computer seems like a pretty minor reason to pick a browser, unless you're constantly logging in on new computers.

>>jodrel+b6
I'd argue that "I prefer the way this vendor does things and I can't leave" is still vendor lock-in. There may be different reasons as to why you can't leave, even if it is just personal preferences.

Google can offer this because you are using a single, fairly unified, ecosystem and they own both your account and browser. However, this ecosystem does not offer interoperability so you are effectively locked-in.

Ironically, this feature is exactly why I can't use Chrome or login on accounts on Android applications: this will auto-sync everything and log you into Google, make logging out very hard, enroll your devices on Google Workspace if that's a professional account, ...

>>Sayrus+1g
I'd argue that that's ridiculous. "The door is closed and locked and I can't leave" is so very very different from "the door is open and I can leave but I prefer it inside" that calling the second "being locked in" is an insult to people who actually are locked in.

Vendor lockin is where the vendor does things to lock you in, such as "Google made it so my Chromebook can only run Chrome", or "Google made it so my GMail only works in Chrome". Lockin generally is when people other than the vendor do things to lock you in, "Meta made WhatsApp web only work in Chrome", "My bank website only works in Chrome".

"The vendor made a more integrated, better, product and I prefer it" is not lockin of any kind, that's ordinary competition.