> its competitors essentially exist only by virtue of being kept around by them

Just this competitor though...?

Apple and Microsoft certainly don't exist purely by virtue of being kept around by Google.

I mean, no, they don't. But Google pays $15B/year to be the default search engine. That's a hefty bill to keep Apple out of the search game.

they're not competitors. Apple leverages its equivalent position in the hardware/os space to not compete (also has the same search deal as Firefox to the tune of billions anyway), and Microsoft ships you a reskinned chrome with its OS.

Competitors was honestly a mistake on my part because you're right. Just this competitor as Firefox is the only independent competitor left with significant usershare at all.

Microsoft don't write a browser engine. Apple lets theirs stagnate, and IIRC make a lot of money from the iOS default search engine.

> Microsoft don't write a browser engine.

Well, they did, but they let it stagnate.