Sony Vaio: first to come with Google Chrome

Google representatives confirmed yesterday that Sony will be bundling the Chrome browser into its Vaio line of notebook computers along with Microsoft's Internet Explorer. This is the browser's first bundling partnership, and follows earlier statements from Google which said that a leading computer manufacturer would ship Chrome.

Sony, however has not made any confirmatory remarks.

In the single year that Chrome has existed, it's garnered a 2.6% share of the global Web browser market thanks to the favorable reviews it has received and its improved performance on platforms such as Windows XP. If Google secures a deal with one of the top five PC manufacturers (HP, Dell, Acer, Lenovo, Toshiba: IDC, July 2009), it could easily push up its market share to third place, behind Firefox, and ahead of both Opera and Safari.

Neither the financial terms of Sony and Google's partnership, nor the global availability of Chrome-equipped Vaios have yet been announced. We've contacted Sony for comment.