Friday, September 5, 2008

Google Chrome

Google Chrome
If you have not heard the latest news this week, then you might have missed the release of Google’s new web browser, called “Google Chrome.” According to some estimates, Google Chrome has already gained 1 percent of the browser market share in its inaugural unveiling a couple of days ago. It is still way behind Microsoft’s Internet Explorer with about 70 percent of the market, and Mozilla’s FireFox which has about 20 percent of the market, but it seems to be making great strides. Apple’s Safari browser accounts for 6 percent of the remaining 10 percent.

Some of the reasons why Google Chrome seems to have received quite a good following is that it presents a sleek appearance, it groups pages into easy-to-manage "tabs" and offers several ways for people to control their Internet privacy settings.

Another reason is the name. As with any technological device or system, novelty draws in crowds, and the Google seal of approval helped to raise that awareness.

I just downloaded Google Chrome 2 days ago and from what I observed so far, it is really minimalistic or lacks some very useful features compared to FireFox. However, this can be an advantage too because it means less pressure on your processor power. If Google Chrome maintains this type of browsing, without any heavy updating in the near future, then they will most probably become the most functional lightweight mobile browser in town.

After I downloaded it, I was able to import my bookmarks from Internet Explorer and Firefox, including browsing history and other data in seconds. The installer immediately detected my local settings and loaded the installer wizard and Google Chrome itself using the local language. You can switch to English language if you like though.

Chrome also has some cosmetic differences from Internet Explorer and Firefox, like putting the movable tabs at the very top of the window. The look is very clean and sleek although the absence of a menu bar and other tool bars on top of the window is a bit disorienting at first. However, without these menus, you can have more space for viewing web pages and minimizes the distractions brought on by various buttons.

Another feature of Google Chrome that separates it from the rest is that it automatically allows you to diagnose problems with runaway plug-ins easily, because it tells you exactly which pages are consuming which resources. Had I been able to do this with Internet Explorer or Firefox, it would have saved me from hours of browser troubles.

Well, that is what I can say for now for this latest addition to our blogosphere. Just be aware that there are still some who are saying the browser is still buggy and slow at times. Try it out yourself if you want to find out.

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