Does the world really need another Web browser?
Google thinks so. Chrome, its new browser, was developed in secrecy and released to the world Tuesday. The Windows version is available for download now at google.com/chrome; the Mac and Linux versions will take a little longer.
Google argues that current Web browsers were designed eons ago, before so many of the developments that characterize today’s Web: video everywhere, scams and spyware, viruses that lurk even on legitimate sites, Web-based games and ambitious Web-based programs like Google’s own Docs word processor. As Google’s blog puts it, “We realized that the Web had evolved from mainly simple text pages to rich, interactive applications and that we needed to completely rethink the browser.”
What this early version of Chrome accomplishes isn’t quite that grand. But it is a first-rate beginning.
I still like Firefox – the 3.0 version is a big improvement and uses less resources – important for someone like me who keeps between 20 and 35 windows and tabs open at one time.
I just downloaded it and having been messing with it for about 30 minutes now. I have to say I am not that impressed. It crashed 3 times, but is rather simplified, which is refreshing (no pun intended). It is not quite as cumbersome as some browsers that are out there.
The “incognito window” that prevents the browser from logging any sites visited by the browser is an interesting feature. It looks like a, shall we say, Adult Content Window so that people can search without it going into the history.
It also has a cutesy shortcut feature that makes an icon on the desktop for easy application access like gmail. But its not like you couldn’t do that with other browsers, especially Slimbrowser, which is my browser of choice.
I don’t really see any earth shattering advancements in technology with this program. You can tell it was designed by a Mac user, as all the dropdown windows are on the upper right hand side, instead of the upper left. I’m not all the impressed. I think I will stick with what I am currently using.
Wait…No. 1…how do you keep up with 35 tabs at once? That’s impressive multitasking.
I used it for a couple of hours last night and almost an hour this morning with no crashes. I like that it will open multiple homepages like IE 8, which Firefox won’t do (at least the version I have).
Did I mention it runs fast?
Archer – thanks for the update – I’ve heard the new IE browser has the same “adult content” feature. I’m a little disappointed by that – I’ve done a little bit of computer forensics in the past (always guided by geeks) and being able to track this stuff is very handy. (Especially with kids who don’t think I know any better [not that my kids do the adult stuff – just keeping tabs on what they do])
> Wait…No. 1…how do you keep up with 35 tabs at once?
🙂
I just checked – I’ve got 11 windows open on Foxfire, with a total of 31 tabs. However all but one or two are minimized. I keep a lot of documents open that I’m working off of – I know the general subject area for each of my windows – the tabs are pretty much all related. Plus, I’m sure I have some sort of attention deficit disorder – I do have to let what I’m working on simmer while I’m looking at something else. The techies I work with all have 2 or 3 monitors – I’m jealous – I only have one. BTW, if you ever think of getting a larger screen to keep more windows open, I recommend against it – having worked on multiple screens in the past I can say that is the only way to go.
The forensics bypass feature escaped by attention and it really is scarey. I attended a workshop a couple of years ago, where the presenter (a forensic computer analyst) stated that law enforcement (probation and parole, my own interests) will not be able to restrict computer usage as we do now. The tools available to us at this time are, basically, programs to search the harddrive, history and registry for websites and files. If the history and registry can be bypassed, what will we do? Flash drives have already made downloads easy to hide. I have search authority, but not the training for more than a plain-view search. Fortunately, most felons are stupid, made so either by their addictions or by their arrogance. But it doesn’t help when technology helps them hide their crimes.
I spoke with a man this morning on parole for possession of child porn and online solicitation of a minor. He’s got a good attidtude, admits his problem, and states his intention to stay away from computers. But if I can’t restrict, where are we? Whatever his intentions, what are his abilities? And then there are the ones who really don’t intend to do well, but get away with what they can get away with. Like I said, this is scarey.
I will grant that the crash phenomenon I experienced might be related more to my work computer, which runs XP and is pretty stable, but it is not a top of the line, newer model by any stretch.
Some people have mentioned having problems with the following paragraph in the EULA:
11.1 You retain copyright and any other rights you already hold in Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services. By submitting, posting or displaying the content you give Google a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, and non-exclusive license to reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute any Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services. This license is for the sole purpose of enabling Google to display, distribute and promote the Services and may be revoked for certain Services as defined in the Additional Terms of those Services.
I tried to install Chrome. It wouldn’t fully install or run. Lots of posts on their discussion group of other folks that can’t get it working. Maybe Chrome is a mythological browser that only exists in peoples’ imaginations. 😉
Initial view seems that it is best suited to run on Vista. Since I refuse to run Vista until it’s been out a year or two (and I am trying to get Dh to switch to Macs at home) I will stay faithfully with Firefox.
‘Nuf said.
I downloaded and installed both Chrome and the IE 8 beta onto my laptop (running Vista) to do a little side-by-side comparison.
Both browsers have the “privacy” feature discussed above, but I was amused to note that both suggest that the scenario when you might use it is when “shopping for a surprise gift” for someone in your family.
Chrome seems to have put a lot of its effort into sandboxing and improving the performance of the javascript engine. They claim that each tab is its own process space, which means that one tab can crash or hang without taking down the rest of the browser. (It also means they have a nifty feature where you can “pull” a tab out of the window and make it a window of its own.)
IE 8 — which my employer would like me to promote 🙂 — has worked more on user-facing features, like managing groups of tabs and making navigation easier. They look like nice features, but I haven’t experimented with it enough to get a good feel for how useful they really are.