Google Chrome
Filed under Reviews, Software, Web
Wow! Google released a new web browser today called "Chrome."
That should certainly make IE, Firefox, Safari, and Opera take notice.
I downloaded it tonight and have made it my default browser.
What I like...
- Faster - pages pop up quicker than IE 7
- Smaller - takes up a lot less memory than IE 7
- Tab UI - you can rearrange the tabs as you please, drag them off to become independent browsers, or drag independent browsers back to make them tabs...very sleek!
- New Tab page shows you thumbnails of most visited pages, bookmarks, recently closed tabs...easier to get to pages you want to go to.
- Address bar is also search engine bar...I rarely need to go to google to find anything, I can go directly from the address bar
- Each tab is an separate process...if one page locks up, the rest continue to run (coming in IE 8, also)
- Passes the Acid2 test
- Find (Ctrl-F or F3) is much better than IE...highlights every match, F3 to go next match, Shift-F3 to go to previous
- Downloads show up at the bottom of your page as an icon you can drag to a folder or open directly
- More screen space for web pages than IE (uses some of title bar for top UI, no status bar at bottom)
So far, the only issue I see is with iGoogle (how ironic)...when I shrink the window, one of the widgets does not know how to resize correctly and keeps changing size which causes the whole page to start flashing. Then again, Google uses their almost permanent "beta" status on this software so they can say "what do you expect, it is beta software!"
Oh! Found another one. You can only look at about 47 facebook photos before it refuses to let you look at anymore...hmmm.
I'm going to keep using this as long as I don't run into too many websites that have problems. For now, I think Google has a competitor in its hands.
Google Chrome
Comments (13)
You missed the best feature--the 38 page explanation by the maestro of pen and ink, Scott McCloud.
http://www.google.com/googlebooks/chrome/
He had listed on his homepage that he was busy on a top secret project. Who knew?
BTW did you mean IE7 has a competitor?
Posted by Kelvin | September 3, 2008 4:54 AM
Posted on September 3, 2008 04:54
So far I have used it on all the major sites I go to and it works great. A lot faster than any other browser. I also heard they released the graphics engine for this, so that might be fun.
Google does it again!
Not that I'm a fan boy or anything. They just make stuff that works.
John
Posted by John Mark Roquemore | September 3, 2008 6:19 AM
Posted on September 3, 2008 06:19
As Paul Thurrott said in his review of Chrome...all of the features already exist in IE 8 beta 2.
"It's pretty clear that the sudden and unexpected release of the Chrome browser was inspired by Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2. So many features here read like features of IE 8 Beta 2, and my guess is that the Chrome guys were shocked to see how close they are."
If you up for using a beta browser why not try out IE 8 beta 2. Click the link below for your OS to download IE8 beta 2:
Posted by Bubba | September 3, 2008 7:03 AM
Posted on September 3, 2008 07:03
@Kelvin:
Doh! Fixed.
@Bubba:
I'll try out IE8 beta 2...it will be interesting to see how they compare.
Posted by David | September 3, 2008 8:59 AM
Posted on September 3, 2008 08:59
Chrome certainly loads up faster. I use a sidebar app to monitor the weather here on the gulf coast, and when I need to pop open the local weather radar it can be agonizing waiting for both Firefox and Java to get running. Chrome is much, much faster at loading and getting the radar images displayed. I'll see if IE8b is as good.
Boy-- between IE, Chrome, Firefox, Opera and Safari, its like Mr. Peabody has set the wabac machine for the mid 90s browser wars.
Posted by kelvin | September 3, 2008 11:08 AM
Posted on September 3, 2008 11:08
@Bubba:
No problem, my IE for OS X still works fine.
I'm surprised no one here seems to have a problem with the Chrome framework (i.e. Webkit) and those who derived it! :)
Posted by Russ | September 3, 2008 11:39 AM
Posted on September 3, 2008 11:39
@Russ:
I was letting you know that currently there is no download available for IE8 beta 2 for Mac. The IE you are using is totally different. So yes, problem for Russ and his OS X.
As for your other comment...I don't think anyone here is anti-non-Microsoft. Most of the people will try a product for themselves and then post comments on their own experiences listing facts instead of what they heard, what their co-worker's-husband's-sister told them, or what they read in a biased blog.
Chrome has a lot of potential for a browser with serious financial backing from Google. Chrome's features are almost identical to Microsoft's latest beta browser, IE8. Where Chrome will make the biggest splash is on mobile phones especially when Android is released.
This is browser wars 2.0.
Posted by Bubba | September 3, 2008 1:35 PM
Posted on September 3, 2008 13:35
Well it was bound to happen...here are browser comparisons.
Posted by Bubba | September 3, 2008 2:24 PM
Posted on September 3, 2008 14:24
How's it compare to Firefox? I've been happy with it.
Posted by Mike Schriever | September 3, 2008 3:54 PM
Posted on September 3, 2008 15:54
Some security vulnerabilities have been pointed out about Chrome. The main one is that it is vulnerable to carpet-bombing flaw. Another is with the password manager. But then again it is a beta so hopefully these things will be fixed in the final release.
http://msmvps.com/blogs/harrywaldron/archive/2008/09/03/google-chrome-security-overview.aspx
Posted by Bubba | September 4, 2008 12:33 PM
Posted on September 4, 2008 12:33
Found another problem:
I am trying to purchase something online at walmart.com. Chrome won't let me get past the account login screen...after I enter the password and press "Sign In," I am returned to the same page with the password field cleared.
I switched back to IE and it worked first try.
Posted by David | September 5, 2008 7:25 AM
Posted on September 5, 2008 07:25
Good thing Chrome is a beta and no-one would ever use it as their primary browser...oh wait....anyways...another security flaw identified. At least Google is working on a fix and will auto update Chrome.
SaveAs problem is a critical buffer overflow vulnerability that could allow a hacker to perform a remote attack and take complete control of the affected system.
http://blogs.zdnet.com/security/?p=1858
Posted by Bubba | September 5, 2008 12:57 PM
Posted on September 5, 2008 12:57
I think the problem was purchasing something at The Beast.
I've downloaded it, and while I notice some pages load much quicker, I also can't use Citrix to log in to work remotely - IE7 works just fine.
Chrome also doesn't allow Yahoo email to autocomplete like IE7 does. If there is a setting in Chrome for this, I can't find it. Switching back to IE7 works.
Cosmetically, I like it a lot. I've switched on two of my systems to Chrome as default with IE7 as backup.
.trey
Posted by Trey | September 5, 2008 2:27 PM
Posted on September 5, 2008 14:27