Google has forged a distribution alliance with Sony's PC division and is in talks with other computer makers as it looks to promote its well-regarded but little-used Chrome browser.
The renewed efforts to expand the reach of Chrome come a year after Google opened a new front in the browser wars with the surprise launch of the software. They highlight the difficulties the company has faced in using Chrome as a strategic weapon to counter Microsoft.
The deal with Sony, which involves shipping Chrome on new Vaio PCs, is the first the internet company has struck with a computer maker. Similar distribution alliances have become a key part of the internet search wars as Microsoft and Google vie to be the default search service on new PCs.