Google has released the beta version of its much awaited web browser, Chrome on September 13 and this week in StarTech we will have a look at the pros and cons of this all new browser, which according to industry experts, is likely to become a serious contender for the market leaders Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox.
So, here are the first impressions that I gathered.
Other than the basic and simplistic look of the software which is common to all Google applications, here are some categorical descriptions of the various aspects of the web browser:
Speed: The first thing you will notice about Google Chrome is its speed. It is fast - REAL fast! Google Chrome also loads from scratch in less than a second on the different machines I've tried it on!
Page display: The pages look pretty much the same as on Mozilla Firefox 3. This is in stark contrast to the current beta version of Internet Explorer 8.
Ease of use: It looks pretty basic, which makes it all the more likable. There is no dedicated search bar but when you use the address bar, it will automatically do a search using your favourite search engine.
The settings section is easy to understand and there aren't that many options compared with IE and Firefox.
The Nifty tricks: You are going to be hearing a LOT about the Google Chrome's 'Incognito mode'. It allows you to surf websites without that website appearing in your browser's history folder. Also, any new cookies triggered from your incognito mode tab will be deleted when you close it. When you have a tab open in incognito mode, you get a little picture of a detective in the top left corner - so you can tell at a glance which mode you are in.
Add to that, your bookmarks are automatically imported as soon as you install Google Chrome and your shortcuts will appear in the same order that they appeared in your previous browser - so everything's where you expect it to be.
The drawbacks: As can be expected from a brand new beta, it's not perfect! Here are a few known problems from the Google Chrome help center and other personal findings.
- Google Calendar - If you create an all day event at the weekend it adds an extra day!
- Laptops sometimes won't go to sleep with Google Chrome running!
- Fixed Width fonts on some sites are tiny on Google Chrome!
- WordPress bloggers like me will find some of the posting tools not working properly!
Overall: To be honest, I am really impressed. Google Chrome is fast, easy to use and very polished for a beta version. My initial impressions are very positive and I can't wait to get the real version! But knowing what Google is like, Chrome will probably stay in beta for ages!
Thanks to the arrival of Chrome, the so-called browser wars have taken an interesting turn and it is yet to be decided if this baby browser is going to be the winner. After years of the 'experts' telling us that it's either Internet Explorer or Firefox who will win - there's someone new who might as well win the war!
And if you haven't already downloaded this amazing software, I'd highly recommend that you do so NOW! Go to http://www.google.com/chrome and hit download. Enjoy!