Google Chrome shows real polish!
Date Published 17/09/2008 - Click here for more recent news
After not quite getting it right previously, Google has tried again and with the launch of its new browser Chrome - seems to have gotten it just about right this time as it takes its place amongst the top tier of browsers. This is somehow unsurprising though, as Chrome looks to create a monopoly of the web, not unlike Abu Dhabi’s own attempt at domination of the world of English Premiere League football with Man City et al.
Chrome creates a great first impression by providing a homepage that features stylish screens of your most visited sites. This cuts down on clicks needed to get to the page you want and also creates a genuinely effective browser landing page. Another nice feature is the way you can type a search query into the address bar rather than a physical address (ie http://www.bbc.co.uk) so again this minimises the amount of work you need to do in order to reach your destination.
Google Chrome doesn’t try to turn 'Eastlands' into the Middle-East-lands, but instead uses its significant experience of the web to produce a hybrid browser that uses the best features resident in most existing browsers, supplemented by new exciting elements all of its own. Multi-tasking comes as second nature to most of us these days and Google's experience of browsers allows it to address problems relating to just this issue. I’m sure you’ve been browsing 'You Tube' at some point, whilst reading about Robinho’s transfer on the BBC website, at the same time as booking a viewing of the latest effects-burdened film from cineworld.com. Isn’t it annoying when one of these windows crashes, thus causing the whole browser to crash? Well this disastrous collapsing domino effect will become an annoyance of the past - because of Chrome's new JavaScript engine that ensures that each 'tab' acts individually. In essence Chrome ensures stability by treating websites not as websites but as applications.
This is not the only area that Chrome excels in though: it gives a glittering all round performance and if it were eligible for a Bafta it would be nominated in all categories. If you are watching a video - it is clear to see how much smoother the footage runs, mainly due Chrome’s all round speed. This is also evident in the general load-up times of sites and is especially noticeable with the bigger sites.
The name Chrome suggests (in a similar way to Platinum) that the browser is stylish and exudes quality. Reminiscent of a good portfolio site - Chrome has a minimal style, letting each page speak for itself rather than being burdened by an over-zealous frame. In being stylish though - it may be questioned that Chrome has jeopardised the users' experience by making the interface too simple and opting-out of the vast array of plug-ins offered by IE and Firefox. By posing this question you are forgetting that the majority of users prefer a simple and efficient browser, that (like many a good computer game; Mario Kart anyone?) is easy to pick up and play.
We also need to remember that Chrome is still not the finished-article (presently in Beta mode) and additional features will no doubt be added in later iterations before the final version is nailed. Despite its present incompleteness - Chrome still seems to be at least a match for other current browsers. So why don’t you test it out for yourself? Download Google Chrome today.
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