Google Chrome

[kup]

I am giving the new Browser 'Google chrome' a trial run. It was a bit difficult to get into as its interface is (on the surface) considerably different to standard browser interfaces such as Firefox and IE. However once you get the hang of it, Chrome feels somewhat intuitive but you will be forced to give away many browser habits due to the different interface. This will be the most difficult aspect for people who prefer uniformity and may hinder adoption of the browser by the general public.

I will continue using Chrome for a while and see if this new Browser is good enough to take FireFox's crown. So far its different but I don't see anything considerably superior but we shall see down the line.

To download:

http://tools.google.com/chrome/intl/en-US/features.html#

The link also contains several short but effective tutorial videos to help people learn to use the interface.

[kurdt_the_goat]

I tried this out today as well. It seems nice enough.. though i didn't get a chance to check it out on many of my own websites, to see how it handles XHTML & CSS yet. It's good that all the major vendors are moving to support those and other web technologies more closely.

Personally, i just want browsers to get better and faster at opening all types of websites, simple to complex, without being a memory hog, so i hope they continue down that path. The only feature i use, that i noticed missing (or did i just not see it?) was a bookmark manager.

I too would prefer the standard OS look, but i think they might just be doing it to differentiate it from the others in the early days. Non-web-savvy users are notoriously bad at even realising WHAT the web browser is!

No doubt it'll be hard trying to describe to some of my clients the difference between Google the search engine and Google Chrome the web browser.. considering most of them think Google is their address bar already!

[kup]

I tried this out today as well. It seems nice enough.. though i didn't get a chance to check it out on many of my own websites, to see how it handles XHTML & CSS yet. It's good that all the major vendors are moving to support those and other web technologies more closely.

Personally, i just want browsers to get better and faster at opening all types of websites, simple to complex, without being a memory hog, so i hope they continue down that path. The only feature i use, that i noticed missing (or did i just not see it?) was a bookmark manager.

I too would prefer the standard OS look, but i think they might just be doing it to differentiate it from the others in the early days. Non-web-savvy users are notoriously bad at even realising WHAT the web browser is!

No doubt it'll be hard trying to describe to some of my clients the difference between Google the search engine and Google Chrome the web browser.. considering most of them think Google is their address bar already!

It has a Bookmark Manager accessible through the 'Star' right before the address bar. However its rather poor. You can import bookmarks which get assigned to an icon to the far right. Again, its somewhat poor particularly if you have many favorites. Its a bit of a killer actually.

I know what you mean about everyday users. Many of them have no concept of what the Internet actually is and how it works. I have encountered a disturbing amount who think that the Internet is the Windows desktop.

Note: I have found an issue. The spell checker detects spelling errors (underlines with red dotted line) but does not allow you to correct them by right clicking.

[kurdt_the_goat]

Hehe, yeah that's all i saw as well and wouldn't call it a bookmark manager!
I would love a bookmark manager that took live screenshots of websites (i tend to bookmark nice site designs and then forget which one's which, making it hard to find one i have in mind)

[MV75]

Oh yea, a huge pass for me. I'm not going to install this on any of my computers.

I really don't trust a new and buggy browser made by the worlds largest online advertiser and tracker of usage. :D I don't like adding yet another vector for attack and exploitation.

I'm still surprised that the majority of self professed "security experts" install things like this. Mind you, they are typically all FF users too. :D And you can say goodbye to that project if this one takes off.

[kup]

Oh yea, a huge pass for me. I'm not going to install this on any of my computers.

I really don't trust a new and buggy browser made by the worlds largest online advertiser and tracker of usage. :D I don't like adding yet another vector for attack and exploitation.

I'm still surprised that the majority of self professed "security experts" install things like this. Mind you, they are typically all FF users too. :D And you can say goodbye to that project if this one takes off.

That is why I am trial running this. I like trying new things and then deciding for myself if they are worth it or not. The risks are negligible on a properly secured home PC so no need to be a Debbie Downer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQHQgtCaDcM&feature=related) :D

[Saintly]

they got that "star" from their google toolbar... it's great!

Just finished reading their 38 page comic :)

[Soundwarp]

Wow thanks for this thread, i want to see what it's like but i have no dramas with normal google......

[MV75]

That is why I am trial running this. I like trying new things and then deciding for myself if they are worth it or not. The risks are negligible on a properly secured home PC so no need to be a Debbie Downer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQHQgtCaDcM&feature=related) :D

I hope you're at least running it in a vmware session. :)

[kup]

Wow thatnks for this thread, i want to see what it's like but i have no dramas with normal google......

It's a web browser like Internet Explorer or Fire Fox. Its not a Search Engine.

[STL]

I use Opera and I'm very happy with it so no interest at all some big corporations play for market share

[Paulbot]

I gave Chrome a whirl at work yesterday (to check our websites) but haven't installed it at home. I use Firefox mostly at home, although it seems to churns a lot of memory to start up. And I do use Opera occassionally.

I will install Chrome though on the computers that multiple family member use because the Incognito feature is good. There are some websites I visit I'd prefer others not to find in the history or to autocomplete in the address bar!!

[kurdt_the_goat]

I hope you're at least running it in a vmware session. :)

What exactly are you afraid of? You sound like my mum with her myriad virus scanners and security programs! Read a book! :P

[jaydisc]

I'm of the opinion that many of the judgements mentioned here really miss the boat. Chrome is not trying to compete against your desktop applications like Firefox or Opera. Chrome boldly tries to be the operating system of the web. Google isn't really in to desktop applications. They believe the web is the future forefront of computing. Microsoft knows this too, which is why they crushed Netscape and have had their worst fears realised with the onslaught of Google web applications, and now Chrome. The Chrome interface is designed like a Mac or Windows operating system window... only giving you the bare, crucial essentials as to not get the way of the TRUE content, which is what is INSIDE the window.

Firefox gained popularity for its simplicity... for not getting in the way of the web. Safari took that simplicity further, arguably at the risk of features, and now Chrome makes the two of them look complex.

As far as a decent bookmark manager, I have no problem with this. About two years ago, I through away my acquired collection of 200 or so bookmarks because I had superseded my need for them with:

1. A dedicated RSS reader
2. Location history (for frequently viewed site)
3. The index at Google.

In the same time it would take me to navigate through hundreds of bookmarks or to search through them, searching in my browser's Google field yielded even more capable, more up to date, more aptly described results.

Now, as with everything, Chrome isn't for everyone, and while you might find this surprising after my comments, it isn't for me either. Chrome is targeted to those among us who extensively use web apps instead of desktop apps, e.g. those who use Gmail instead of Outlook, Flickr instead of Photoshop Elements, Del.icio.us instead of a bookmark manager, Facebook instead of MSN, Lastfm instead of iTunes, etc. While these are the tools of many of my peers, more importantly, these are the tools of the upcoming generations. The operating system as we know it is becoming increasingly irrelevant. Google knows this and has just released a beta of the operating system of the future. It's bold as hell, it IS the future, and to me, the most enjoyable part, it is Microsoft's greatest fears realized.

And MV75, if you're so concerned about vectors, you should stop using Windows ;)

[Sam]

From a purely work oriented perspective, I am not too enthusiastic about another new web browser ... because being from Google, it has potential to be used by more and more people. And for me, it's another web browser to check the pages against when building websites, which means more work. :0

[The_Damned]

well just remeber it is still just a beta. on another note i installed it yesterday and i like it, it seems to load webpages alot faster, hopefully they release a complete version soon.

[Saintly]

well said JD!

[STL]

And MV75, if you're so concerned about vectors, you should stop using Windows ;)

Still, its some corporations power play for market share, right? :p

[MV75]

And MV75, if you're so concerned about vectors, you should stop using Windows ;)

Nah, I'm not going there. Linux nerds arn't worth it. :p They'll never realise the scenario:

Ok, I've got my smoothwall box secured behind my modem/router, and the firewall on my one computer connected to it is accepting traffic through port 80/25 only, and I'm at the command prompt as the GUI just gets in the way. Now what can I do........ Oh shite........ I know! I can twiddle my thumbs and then do the finger pyramid of evil self satisfication while thinking of how secure I am compared to everyone else....... then I think I'll go jack off to some anime as that's all that's left that I can do. :D

5 seconds later...... I better go check the blog of the project to see if there are any more updates..... Oh cool! There is! It fixes a pixel that is out of alignment on a picture of tux, I better get that one! Plus I have a spare two hours to recompile the core so that the update is applied. Those windows guys don't know what they're missing. :p

[MV75]

Still, its some corporations power play for market share, right? :p

And google is doing what now? You do realise how big they are right?

This is so ironic it hurts. I can't believe you guys, blinding jumping on the largest corporations buggy crap like its pure diamonds in melted gold.

[kup]

And google is doing what now? You do realise how big they are right?

This is so ironic it hurts. I can't believe you guys, blinding jumping on the largest corporations buggy crap like its pure diamonds in melted gold.

Who is jumping?

[Saintly]

i haven't jumped ship from IE7 yet...

all I'm saying is that Google is getting into the right frame of mind about what everyone wants

[iceburn]

i'm using Google Chrome now...seems alright.
got to work out what other benefits it can bring

[edit]
font seems weird and too small for my eyes...i'm back to Firefox for now.

[jaydisc]

From a purely work oriented perspective, I am not too enthusiastic about another new web browser ... because being from Google, it has potential to be used by more and more people. And for me, it's another web browser to check the pages against when building websites, which means more work. :0

I'm in the same boat, but you can rest a bit easier as Chrome simply uses the WebKit engine, same as Safari, and an increasing number of mobile devices, including every iPhone, Nokia and upcoming Android phone. Web developers don't have it too bad anymore, because if you write good code, Gecko (Firefox) and WebKit are going to treat it well, so you're still only really stuck dealing with Microsoft. If you're starting to use the current crop of awesome JavaScript frameworks, browser compatibility is also not a worry. Again, it's Microsoft holding the industry back here.


This is so ironic it hurts. I can't believe you guys, blinding jumping on the largest corporations buggy crap like its pure diamonds in melted gold.

:eek: Oh man! The irony of YOUR irony is hysterical! Here's the Microsoft Windows guy talking about others using "the largest corporations buggy crap"?!?! You've got to start using the preview button.


Who is jumping?

And yeah, as Kup says, seems to me that everyone in this thread is cautious. I haven't heard anybody professing love, adoration or blind trust faith.


Still, its some corporations power play for market share, right? :p

That's quite an over-simplification, because most of these vendors aren't selling the browser as a commercial product (with one exception: Opera), so it's not like Dell vs. Lenovo or BMW vs. Mercedes in the traditional sense of market share. I find this so fascinating, so let me attempt to shed some light:

Firefox
Like many open source projects, there's definitely a bit of ideology doing the motivating here to simplify the browser, remove the previous Microsoft dominance, reduce resource requirements, improve speed, and be more standard compliant. But... Mozilla makes money, make no amends. And ironically, there source of income is Google. Whenever anyone searches for anything from the Firefox search field and/or the default Firefox home page, any AdWords links that are clicked are through Mozilla's affiliate account at Google, so when you apply that revenue across the millions of Firefox users, Mozilla makes MILLIONS on Google Advertising. FYI, Firefox is based on Mozilla's "Gecko" engine, which is present in all of the other Mozilla products and some other ones.

Safari
Safari is Apple's baby, and is based on Apple's open source engine, WebKit. There's a little bit of ideology here (albeit not as much), as Apple is also interested in standards compliance, because Apple wants webpages to work on Macs and iPhone, because Apple is in the business of selling boxes. Apple ONLY MAKES SOFTWARE in order to sell boxes. Anyone who tells you otherwise, is wrong (to quote our colleague Pulse: "Pure and simple")

Microsoft
The proverbial 500-pound gorilla in the room is interested in maintaining a pre-existing market dominance, to leverage their other businesses units and preserve their cash cows of Windows and Office. The two collectively make up near 50% of the [real] largest corporation's profits. Now, Microsoft, like Google, saw the writing on the wall, in that the upcoming power and obvious portability of web applications greatly threatened those two sectors. Ever heard of Google Docs? Microsoft has tried to move their Office products online and to subscription models, both failing miserably, like virtually all of their modern ventures. Now, in the wake of devastation known as Microsoft Vista, Google has released the second of their one-two punch. If people are already using Gmail and Google Docs, and all the other web apps out there, there is seemingly even less reason to by the US$500 Windows Craptop when you get a US$200 non-Windows one from Walmart that also runs all the same web apps.

Google
People look at many of these companies with lots of different products (e.g. Google, Microsoft and Apple) and see them as complex, diversified businesses, but virtually each one is almost consistently singularly focused. Apple sells boxes. Microsoft sells platforms, and Google sells advertising. EVERYTHING THAT GOOGLE DOES IS ONLY DONE TO SELL ADVERTISING. They are virtually the ONLY company that has found success in internet based advertising and the magic word is context. They understand context-based advertising, and that is seemingly one of the only types of advertising that is responded to in modern times.

So... back to your question. Isn't it just about market share? Sure, but market share of what? Browser sales? Computer sales? Platform domination? Advertising sales?

[Saintly]

i don't particularly care about market share if they are not directly asking me for money

the only thing I worried about is if Google end up monopolising everything, then they could potentially charge everyone that uses their services.

[jacksplatt11]

im using firefox and it does everything i need/want, so i wont use anything else until i actually need more from a web browser..

ive had my nokia 6230i for 3 years now for the same reason, it still works and does everything i need, so i wont bother buying anything new till i need more..

i know google chrome is free, but you get what i mean

[kup]

im using firefox and it does everything i need/want, so i wont use anything else until i actually need more from a web browser..

ive had my nokia 6230i for 3 years now for the same reason, it still works and does everything i need, so i wont bother buying anything new till i need more..

i know google chrome is free, but you get what i mean

I have a similar philosophy. I used my ancient Nokia Mobile monochrome phone for like 6 years. I only replaced it because the battery had died and there was no spares. Only then did I decide to get a new phone. The new phone is flashy with a built in GPS but I will likely not replace it until it dies. I have no need to keep buying the latest and greatest. If it does the job then its good.

However trying out a new Browser is not the same. Its free, there is minimal effort to acquire and install and it enhances the perception of what can be done with a browser.

If you don't try, how do you know if it will be better/worse/same than what you are used to now?

My grandfather is the type who refuses to touch a computer because he is satisfied with how he has been doing things for 50 years. He will never know if he could have been doing things better, easier and more enjoyably.

I don't want to end up with that frame of mind so I will try things out and judge them if they are good or not for myself but I will not just ignore new things because I am satisfied with the way I things are now.

[STL]

So... back to your question. Isn't it just about market share? Sure, but market share of what? Browser sales? Computer sales? Platform domination? Advertising sales?

Anything that gets you to post in Gok-like volumes. :p

[jaydisc]

Here's a nice writeup explaining when, how and why Google Chrome talks to Google.com:

Preventing paranoia: when does Google Chrome talk to Google.com? (http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/google-chrome-communication/)

Featuring this great quote referenced from a NYT article (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/03/technology/personaltech/03pogue.html?_r=1&oref=slogin) (emphasis mine):


Will Google ensure that its own services run better in Chrome than in other browsers? Is this part of Google’s great conspiracy?

That’s a no and a no. Chrome is open-source, meaning that its code is available to everyone for inspection or improvement — even to its rivals. That’s a huge, promising twist that ought to shut up the conspiracy theorists.

[Paulbot]

Does the Google Chrome icon look like a Pokeball to anyone else? :)