Google enters the browser wars with Chrome
14th September 2008
Share or save this page:
Chrome is the latest entry in to the browser wars, from search engine giant Google. Based on the open-source web-kit technology that is used by Apple’s Safari browser, Google Chrome launched on 2nd September for the Windows platform as the latest contender in an attempt to grab marketshare away from Internet Explorer and Firefox.
Google interestingly, took a different approach to its launch by releasing a comic book that explains the background as to why this browser was developed and the concept behind the features [Link]
I had a chance to install a copy on a Vista machine and found the new BETA browser to be speedy in both launch time and page loading. The default homepage for Chrome is set to a thumbnail preview of your most frequently visited sites that are refreshed automatically. Google have of course applied their search innovation to the browser by providing thumbnail previews of search results for some but not all web pages.
One of the key development themes behind Google Chrome is ensuring that Javascript runs seamlessly with web apps such as its own suite of online tools and messaging services. The underlying architecture for Google Chrome is well documented on Wikipedia with a complete breakdown on security, speed and stability.
A notable difference to the user interface compared to its rival browsers is that the tab bar is placed above the address bar and lacks a menu bar at the top. The minimalist interface is part of Google’s strategy to push online services and applications in to the mainstream. Creating shortcuts to services such as Google Maps, Chrome will launch without any of the bars or tabs that you get in the usual browser window, making it appear more like a desktop application.
Whilst the BETA version of Chrome is available for Windows XP and Vista, a Mac and Linux version remain under development.
Get your copy of Google Chrome here.
