After years of Google working on it’s own browser, Google has released it today. 
Let’s welcome Google Chrome.
If you subscribe to a few tech blogs, I am sure you are going to be inundated, even feel sick with news about Google Chrome. So, I am going to keep this brief and just show a few things I like about Google Chrome.
Google Chrome Features
- New tab page – instead of a blank page or a default page, shows your most visited pages, most used search engines and recently bookmarked sites.
- Omnibox is the only box you have in Chrome – web search, history, address bar, etc. You get suggestions as you type.
- Application shortcuts – Open webapps such as Gmail, Google reader, etc directly from Desktop with shortcuts. Think Mozilla Prism from Google. (Mozilla Prism Review +best Prism Webapps)
- Crash Control – my favorite feature in Chrome. Every tab runs as a separate process which means a crashed tab doesn’t close all your other open tabs as well.
- No download manager – no annoying popup download manager.
Some of other cool features in Google Chrome include Dynamic tabs, Incognito mode, Safe browsing, etc.
Under the hood
Google has worked a lot to get cutting edge technology into this browser. Google Chrome is based on Apple’s WebKit – used in it’s mobile platform Android and Mozilla Firefox. It also sports a completely re-written javascript engine called V8 that makes web apps that are Javascript heavy like Gmail run much much faster.
If you would like learn more about what’s under the hood of Google Chrome as well as see why Google decided to create their own browser, this Google Chrome Comic is for you.
Update: Digital Inspiration has a nice post on the new features in Google Chrome that are missing in other browsers.
Download Google Chrome (beta for Windows)
After installing, I had to close Firefox so Chrome can import my settings from Firefox and did so without a hickup. Chrome is super super fast and I already have application shortcuts made for my frequently accessed webapps such as Gmail, Google Reader, Passpack, etc.
A Linux and Mac version is not available at the moment but we can only hope to see it soon. I can hear lot of people saying Google is one step closer to taking over the world. I see this as one step closer to making the ‘perfect browser’.
[via Official Google Blog]
Nice post. Any feelings yet on how it compares to FireFox. I’ve been very pleased with their FireFox 3 and wonder what you think.
JimAtJaxtrs last blog post..5 Ways to Get the Most from Café Jaxtr
I am such a firefox fan it is going to be hard for me to switch. And I love my Google toolbar for Firefox. That said, it’s surprising it’s taken Google this long to jump into the browser arena.
Louises last blog post..Baked Chicken Recipe With Lemon and Garlic
i like that crash control feature you mentioned as well. i hate it when one buggy site, loading in a tab, brings everything else down. and the browser looks pretty good too. promising.
koujis last blog post..haiku poem: welcome
Firefox is the best browser ever. I don’t know that I can even bring myself to try Chrome. But since I live in Google apps like Gmail, Calendar, and Reader, perhaps it’s worth a shot.
I would love to get my hands on Chrome but unfortunately I don’t really have the ambition to pull out an old PC just to try it out (I’ve used Macs exclusively for almost 2 years now). And, from what I’ve read online it is going to be quite a while before we see a Mac version available.
The fact that each tab is its own process is great in terms of keeping the entire browser from crashing because of one tab but quite frankly I don’t think my browser has crashed in about 3 months (I use Firefox). So, I don’t think the extra memory requirements up front are really going to be worth the stability for me.
I’m excited to see where Chrome goes but for now I’ll stick with good’ol trusty Firefox.
Michaels last blog post..Google Introduces “Chrome,” a Web Browser Based on WebKit
So far so good for me. I am finding that the on screen scroll in a little crazy on my laptop it just shots off. But other than that it’s great. Very fast and minimal…I like 🙂
I still haven’t downloaded Chrome yet personally, but there’s already a copy running here in the office… and I *just* overheard that Passpack’s 1 Click Login works just fine right off the bat. Hooray!
But I guess you beat us to that test 🙂
Cheers,
Tara
Tara Kellys last blog post..OpenID, Google & Windows Live: Welcome to Passpack
I made the more to FF a couple of years ago and haven’t looked back.
There are some things here tht I really like the idea of such as the crash control – it’s the one thing I find a littel frustrating with FF – as well as the download box!
I’ve tried the CHROME just now. Installation and browsing is fast but it lacks alot of what a normal browser is like plugins and stuff ……
Still prefer my firefox though
Cheers
Izzy at http://www.myboxpro.com
Jim, at the moment it is kind of hard to compare it with Firefox but with the same number of tabs open, Chrome definitely has a lower footprint and runs really really fast. But, my Fuirefox as probably like any others’ is loaded with juicy extensions. Firefox is here to stay for me too but Chrome could be fighting for its spot where I use Mozilla Prism.
Louise, me too. I’d probably use Chrome for it’s web application shortcut feature for a few webapps but someone has to seriously come up with Greasemonkey for me to use Gmail or Google Reader in Chrome.
kouji, that is something the Firefox team should take not of maybe for version 4.0. I love competition. 🙂
Andrew, you know I write about Firefox here more than anything but I love to try new things. Especially when it comes from Google. The new javascript engine definitely makes Gmail and Google Reader very fast in Chrome.
Michael, good ol’ trusty Firefox is for me too. However, with Chrome being an open source software there are many positives I can see Firefox picking up from it. Plus, the Firefox community is sure to come up with extensions for features that are in Chrome, if they don’t already exist.
Simon, that’s right. I’d love to see Chrome become portable so I can throw it in my flash drive and use it on the road.
Tara, I had to try Passpack too as I use it all day but Passpack flies even in my loaded Firefox. 🙂 I am all excited about the Google/OpenID support and will be writing here about it shortly. 🙂
olly, have you tried the Download Statusbar Firefox extension. I like it because it keeps teh download box out of the way! 🙂
izzy, thanks for sharing that. I wonder the same about Chrome.. if there will be extensions made for it. The first one I wanna see is Greasemonkey.
Although it does look pretty slick, I think I am going to stay with Firefox. It sounds like Chrome has a smaller footprint and runs JavaScript much faster which is great but I do not believe I can live with out all my Firefox add-ins.
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i tried chrome, its supersonic speed 🙂 for the web pages, but its very new and beta, i cant change with mozilla now, also where is the google toolbar for chrome.
John, that seems to the feeling with Firefox users as most of us have learnt to live with these add-ons.
selcuk, I have a feeling Google intentionally didn’t ship the toolbar with the initial release as that might be something Microsoft would do. Or maybe they haven’t tested it thoroughly yet and didn’t want to wait.
After tried for few day,it fast and stable but one thing is proxy setting is using IE proxy setting,don’t have individual proxy setting.
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I’m really excited about Google’s new offering. I can’t wait to give it a try!
So far, the reviews from mainstream media has been all over the place for Chrome. Some say it’s more memory intensive and slower than FF and IE and some say it’s better.
For me, I like it so far, but I’ve always liked sleek browsers. In fact, my fave speedy and lightweight browser is K-Meleon. Chrome has been fast for me so I hope the developers give it some love and do the plugins that we’ve seen for FF. I mean, Chrome doesn’t even have the Google toolbar!
PRs last blog post..Card Magic Tricks
I have been using chrome for sometime now and i have to say its too slick and light weight.In fact it does not take a lifetime to start like Mozzila(it takes a big 20 odd seconds to show up).
but off late the chrome browser has been dying on me very frequently.Specially with sites having lot of dynamic content comprising of ajax,javascript and stuff.
Strange to say that Google Anayltics is the website that gets stuck the most for me.Ironical i say
Anywas,is everyone feeling the same or there is something wrong with mine
Ankit, that is a real strange that Google didn’t make Chrome compatible to their flagship Google Analytics or release Google Toolbar. I stopped using Chrome and will give it another reconsideration as soon as the Chrome extensions start appearing. But, with the Greasemonkey equivalent for Chrome out, I might start using it as a Prsim alternative soon for web apps like Google reader.
Since, it’s in beta it’s probably for a lot of people and not just yours.
Hmmm.Even i have wanting to get back to mozzila again but then m too lazy to do all the importing and stuff.I hope the problems will get resolved sooner or later.
Anywas, would you mind elaborating on the Grease monkey equivalent, have heard a lot about it but i have to say i am not that internet savvy.
Is there any post where you elaborate the GreaseMonkey thing ,will be happy to go through it.
A Passing question:
I don’t see my last blog past being parsed by commentLuv , unlike others.not that i am too bothered about it.
And is there any do-follow or CommentLuv kinda availabe for blogger.
Firefox is the best browser ever. I don’t know that I can even bring myself to try Chrome. But since I live in Google apps like Gmail, Calendar, and Reader, perhaps it’s worth a shot.
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Google Chrome is extremely useful when it comes to productivity. I really like chrome so far, it looks fantastic with the new tab location and im finding it a lot faster than IE!
Google Chrome is useful and i think it is better than others..