For those of you who don’t know, Google Chrome is Google’s entrance into the browser world on Wednesday with a huge fanfare, and response have been mixed bags. However, as I needed something to blog about, I’ve been using Google Chrome for the past couple of days, here are my thoughts.
- Layout is pretty swish, and it is pretty quick. Though the tabs ABOVE the address bar takes a bit getting used to.
- I don’t like the “New Tab” window. I’m an avid igoogle user, and it reminds me too much of the Speed Dial plugin my boss uses and I just cannot understand in Firefox.
- Worryingly – it set itself as the default browser when I first used it, even though I didn’t want it to.
- Ajax doesn’t seem quite right to me. I’ve tried poking people on facebook (TJ especially), and it opens in a new window, rather than the more traditional Ajaxy opening.
- Also, video doesn’t appear to be working when it’s not an FLA (for example, the videos on the WWE website.
- Google promise plugins, but what are the chances of there being an ad blocker plugin? So many websites are unreadable at the moment. Somehow, I feel that Google won’t release one.
- It hasn’t crashed yet. More so than firefox, which has been so shonky at the moment.
All in all, it isn’t a bad browser, probably the second best behind firefox. Will I adopt it? I may do, it’s quite a good browser, I just want teh range of plugins that Firefox offers, and I’m sold.
Finally, I’d also not block your email programme as well.
Schoolboy!
Also, Plurk doesn’t work particularly well as well on it.
Have you used Chrome? What do you make of it?
Comments: 15 Comments
Rhys Wynne, the author of this blog, is a 20 something web designer from Colwyn Bay. 
Don’t you think it’s ironic that you’re complaining about “unreadable” websites and yet your own could do with a welcome dose of adblock? :p
I like the chrome – still needs work. only thing i’ve found wrong so far is on facebook when you click the read more button it appears to do nothing… not exactly a major issue thou.
liking incognito mode! although tabs up the top is a bit weird i like it! some how seems a lot less cluttered and firefox and IE!
at what point is earth going to be controlled by google then? my prediction… sometime before christmas!
ooh it doesnt like hotmail!
I only heard about it on the radio this morning, so having got home from work I downloaded it and, yeah, I like it. Sure it’s a bit spartan, but I’m quite sure it’s just the start for Chrome, bring it on Google.
I’m thinking of buying a new PC soon, do you think if I leave it a few months it will come with a Google OS?
dammit! I saw it first!
Your site had gotten a little bit too addy for my tastes.
Chrome didn’t work for me when I installed it on my dads laptop.
Hahahaha, you’re funny
Howdy boy!
No, haven’t tried the Chrome yet. Maybe later.
It would be fun to go to Stockholm next weekend and see you but I probably can’t =(. Well, tell me when you come to Lund and I will show you how a blonde, swedish student party =P.
Vi hörs snart!
Ha det så bra! Kramar =)
(nope, I won’t translate)
I’ve been using it today and it’s been… okay.
It is FAST. I like that. It’s a little different, but intuitive.
But it took a big dump trying to handle a flash-loaded myspace page, I’ve had it kind of freeze/hang up… it’s good until it’s bad, and when it’s bad it pisses me right off.
Haven’t tried poking you yet but I’m sure I’ll get to it.
I think Chrome is great, and with Google’s release early and continue to improve approach I think this browser will be the one to beat. I’m still using Firefox because of key plugins but once those are available in Chrome I switch 100%
google chrome is a great browser. it loads website faster than firefox. from the v8 benchmark suit (http://code.google.com/apis/v8/run.html), it beats all other browser. but currently it only lacks of plugin (even can’t install google toolbar … lol)
I think the real point here, is do we really need another browser? I’m all for choices, but we already have IE, FireFox, Opera, and Safari. That’s plenty to choose from. I would have much rather seen Google pour it’s resources into Firefox, and build their market share. Chorme will just end up bleeding market share from the minor players here. Kinda dumb really.
I’m excited about the major innovations in the way Chrome works compared to the crop of current browsers. I can see all the others following suit very soon. It seems like such a no-brainer that each tab is it’s own process!
I don’t see it eating into the existing user base of IE/Firefox/Safari quickly unless Google make a big push in getting plugins released for it quickly. If the others browsers are smart they’ll follow suit and adopt the way Chrome works, if they do most users won’t have a reason to switch.
In my eyes Chrome is the first of the next generation of browsers.
Chrome has too many security holes yet and new ones are about to be found. Install with caution.
I wont be changing from Firefox 3 any time soon. I’m a user of all things Google but their browser just doesn’t do it for me…….yet