Notes on Google Chrome

Update 2: Google explains its Windows-only release of Chrome in Platforms and Priorities

When it comes to Mac and Linux versions, this means that our goal is not to just “port” a Windows application to these other platforms–rather, our goal is to deliver Chromium’s innovative, Google-style user interface without rough edges on any of them. Chromium’s overall design has been multi-platform from the start, but we are also committed to getting the details right for users on each platform. For an application that most of us “live in” most of the day, rough edges in the user experience or operating system integration are like having a stone in your shoe no matter how well the rest of the product works.

Update: I updated this post with more about Chrome’s features and some related links.

I may craft this into a better post later, but for now, I wanted to share some initial thoughts and observations about Google’s Chrome browser, which was released earlier today.

~~Keep in mind that I’m rolling in true nerd style here: blogging at LAX on my T-Mobile HotSpot~~ ~~collection~~ ~~connection waiting to board my flight to Atlanta. Expect typos, incomplete thoughts and possible profanity because I’m in that kind of mood.~~

I have only spent a few short hours with the browser, but I can safely say that it may be a game changer. Chrome, which is based on WebKit, has super speedy load times and man-handles JavaScript. I don’t think Google Chrome is using SquirrelFish just yet. But I fully expect that a final release (or at least a later beta) will.

What I’m digging

Slim, trim interface. Google got the interface right. It’s streamlined and simplified with only what you need to see at any given time. Other options (like your bookmarks bar) can be turned on and off as desired.
Speed. I’m running this on a Windows XP Parallels virtual machine. Still fast. As f*ck.
Dead-simple plug-in installs. Chrome realized that I needed to install Flash. One click and a few minutes later, the player was downloaded, installed, and ready to use.
Most visited sites: Similar to Opera’s Speed Dial feature, but automated. Chrome automatically saves and organizes the sites you visit most and loads them as your home page when you start the browser (above photo).
Combined search address bar. Consider it a lesson learned from Firefox, which despite having separate boxes for the URL and web search, will actually search the web if you type a keyword in the address bar. Google Chrome dispenses with the separate boxes. You want to search the web? Type in the address / search bar and hit enter.
Incognito surfing. It’s similar to Safari’s private browsing feature. Incognito lets you fire up a separate browsing window that gets rid of cookies and your surfing history when you close it.
Application shortcuts Think of it as a site-specific browser, along the lines of Fluid or Mozilla’s Prism extension. Application shortcuts load separately from the Chrome browser window, and and offers a focused environment for web applications such as GMail or Zoho Writer.
The nerdiest of nerdy sh*t. Yeah, Chrome lets you tweak your security settings and such. And yes, it has developer tools that don’t require extensions, or special configuration commands. But it’s killer nerd feature is Task Manager. Yes, Google Chrome lets you see which of your tabs and/or plug-ins is sucking up your CPU usage.
Crash protection. Flash might crash, but it won’t take your browser down with it.

What I’m not digging

Combined search address bar. Firefox’ keyword search is basically a Google “I’m feeling lucky” search. I like that Firefox removes the Google page middle man. Chrome, conversely, takes you to a Google search results page.
No really. That’s the only thing I don’t like so far.

Now when looked at individually, there’s not much about Chrome that hasn’t been done before. Unified search bar? Firefox (sort of). Single-site browsing (or site-specific browsing)? Firefox + Prism. Frequently visited pages? Opera Speed Dial.

The innovation, however, comes in the aggregate. No browser available today has an interface that is more thoughtfully-designed than Chrome. Period. Google rounded-up the best browser trends and innovations of the last few years, sprinkled them with G-Dust, and released them as one hell of a browser.

I am surprised, however, that Google’s Chrome is only available for Windows, considering it’s based on the WebKit project — the same software that powers Apple’s Safari browser. I’m also curious why they chose a WebKit core over a Mozilla core, considering the history of collaboration and sharing between Google and the Mozilla Corporation.

For what it’s worth, Google says, that Mac OS X and Linux versions are coming soon. And I hope by “coming soon” they mean “next week.” In the meantime, Windows users can download Chrome and put it through its paces.

Published 2 Sep 2008 • Permalink • Post a comment

Categories: (x)HTML, Browsers, CSS, Other browsers

Tags: Browsers, google, google chrome

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David Gerard said on 2 Sep 2008 at 3:22 pm

"We are so, so happy with Google Chrome," mumbled Mozilla CEO John Lilly through gritted teeth. "That most of our income is from Google has no bearing on me making this statement." - http://notnews.today.com/?p=57

Bryan Wilhite said on 2 Sep 2008 at 6:19 pm

Hey, you should have told me you were in LA! I would have hooked you up to one MORE evening with the veritable cans of nerd paint! You are the second person to fly into LAX and not really tell me about it this month.

tiffany said on 2 Sep 2008 at 10:24 pm

Aw man! I had no idea you were in L.A. Don’t feel bad though. I was kind of tied up with some personal stuff. Missed a whole lot of folks. But I have a feeling I will be back through L.A. a lot more. And soon.

Bryan Wilhite said on 3 Sep 2008 at 5:20 pm

Soon! Do that! I ain’t got it like back during the DotCom boom so I can’t dangle Marriott’s Newport Coast Villas in front of you.

I don’t know what you think of Facebook but you being there just a little bit would help stuff like this out… my apologies for not getting into Twitter or some other smart-phone-related shisen. I know we got email but…

Bryan Wilhite said on 3 Sep 2008 at 5:29 pm

Put it like this: set up a Tiffany Brown on tour in L.A. fund and I will seriously contribute. I am not kidding because my Blackness is no joke!

Bryan Wilhite said on 3 Sep 2008 at 5:58 pm

One more: The Mozilla Foundation has made MILLIONS from Google with a search box in Firefox. With Chrome, Google can get in on some of that money.

Bryan Wilhite said on 7 Sep 2008 at 12:07 pm

Ok. One more (really). This one is from Cringely: “Chrome promotes WebKit rendering, which is also done in Safari. It would not surprise me if WebKit didn’t make some inroads shortly with Firefox and Opera, helping somewhat to turn the tide away from IE. Yet WebKit will change, too, by adopting Google’s V8 JavaScript engine, replacing JavaScriptCore in both WebKit and Safari. Thus all the open source browsers (and Safari) become better and more alike, which helps them against IE.”

Tiffany B. Brown

Notes on Google Chrome

What I’m digging

What I’m not digging

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