09-03-2008, 04:50 PM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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Google Launches "Chrome" Web Browser
Yesterday, Google launched their own Web browser. Since this is pretty big news, I decided it was worth posting network-wide. Do we really need another browser? Before yesterday, my answer would have been no - I'm a very satisfied Firefox user, and Internet Explorer 8 is shaping up quite nicely. But after watching the 90 minute Google Webcast yesterday, I was very interested in with what Google had created.�*There's a great�*online comic�*that walks you through why Google created the browser, and what kinds of things were important to Google when creating Chrome. I think this comic is also how the browser was leaked before Google was ready to announce it. The features list is pretty impressive for a beta, but the real proof is in using it: I just started doing that this morning, and I have to admit, the speed differeces that Google talked about really do make a difference. I have a fast cable modem connection (10 mbps, but I just tested it and it benchmarked at 25.2 mbps) so I don't usually think of the Web as being slow in general, but after hitting a dozen or so sites with Chrome, everything really does seem faster. Web pages seem to snap into place quicker, and Chrome itself is extremely responsive. The work that Google has done focusing on speed seems to have paid off in a big way. Beyond speed, the way that Chrome works from a stability standpoint is fascinating: each tab is actually a separate running process. That means that if one Web page crashes your browser, it only takes down that one tab, leaving the rest intact. I've lost more work than I care to admit through Firefox and Internet Explorer crashes, so this is hugely appealing to me. Being a beta, there are some bugs and quirks, but I found that with the import of all my Firefox bookmarks, usernames, and passwords, I was up and running really quick. It includes an install of Flash (or maybe it's using what was already installed on my computer), so I was able to see and interact with everything on the Web easily. The user interface and design of the browser is typical Google: minimalist, but well-thought out and quite effective. I really like the "Omnibox" which is a combination of address bar and search box. You just start typing something, and it quickly gives you options for searching Google (or whatever search engine you have configured) or going to that Web site. Chome still needs more polishing, but it's shaping up to be quite impressive. Check it out for yourself.
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09-03-2008, 05:06 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 211
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But the real question is when this will come out for Windows Mobile.  (Probably the one OS in sore need of a real browser that runs quickly and doesn't mess with the notification settings. Bonus points if it actually can run and install only on a storage card.)
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09-03-2008, 05:08 PM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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Quote:
Originally Posted by paschott
But the real question is when this will come out for Windows Mobile.
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Good question. I think probably never.  The Chrome team was asked about mobile browsers, and they replied saying that although Chrome is based off Webkit, which is what the Web browser in Android is based off of, they didn't consider mobile scenarios as part of their focus.
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09-03-2008, 05:11 PM
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Mystic
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,887
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Mind the fine print, folks:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-10...6.html?tag=txt
There is no such thing as a free lunch:
http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=9855&tag=nl.e539
Chrome is all about ads.
Serving them through the browser rather than the web page.
Easy to see Google serving up Ford ads in the browser when the user goes to a Toyota page...
Or, how about:
"By submitting, posting or displaying the content you give Google a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, and non-exclusive license to reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute any content which you submit, post or display on or through, the services."
Lotsa fun to come.
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09-03-2008, 05:26 PM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Felix Torres
"By submitting, posting or displaying the content you give Google a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, and non-exclusive license to reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute any content which you submit, post or display on or through, the services."
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That's sure a strange paragraph. If I post something online, unless I agree otherwise, I still own the copyright for that content. So Google is saying that they have the right to publish the content I post to my Web sites if I use Chrome? That's completely bizarre...  Google couldn't possibly get away with that...could they?
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09-03-2008, 05:38 PM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,097
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Sure they can. That's what an End-User License Agreement is: you own the software but you must use it their way. In addition, since it's a Beta and isn't a 'public distribution' yet, they can pretty much do whatever they want.
They have a similar clause in the EULA for gmail. Which is why no one should ever use gmail for business purposes (or anything else that's confidential). Google can read your email at any time for any reason... Which is why we'll probably never see a non-beta version of gmail...
That and they can't be sued if it borks your system. 
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09-03-2008, 05:46 PM
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09-03-2008, 06:38 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 110
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the speed and design is indeed nice, but it's (again) the google philosophy that makes me stay with a different free service - say, firefox. google is more and more trying to start a monopol with all its services. chrome is just the top of it. you see it by just reading the end-user agreement - they're doing things that cannot be quite right. i don't really trust the actions google is taking anymore.
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09-03-2008, 07:18 PM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,329
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The biggest feature that is a "sale" for me is the fact that each tab is a sep process. No more crashing the entire browser when 1 site gets twitchy.
HOWEVER. While I've yet to read their EULA there have been several reports that the LIC is heavily draconian. As in whatever content is created in this browser we can use. They don't own it but they have rights to use it. I need to download Chrome and read the license text. This sounds like someone was in a hurry to create a LIC and didn't think this through. IF its in there I expect a stink to be thrown up around the net shortly and Google to change it.
At any rate this looks like a good browser. Now if they only supported FF extensions (Adblocker, noscript, etc.)
__________________
PDA History: Palm Pilot 5000 -> Apple Newton 2100 -> Casio E-11 -> iPaq 3650 (64MB Upgrade) -> iPaq 3700 -> Casio EM-500 -> HP Jornada 568 -> HP iPaq hx4705 www.spreadfirefox.com |
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09-03-2008, 08:14 PM
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Theorist
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 274
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Felix Torres
Mind the fine print, folks:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-10...6.html?tag=txt
There is no such thing as a free lunch:
http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=9855&tag=nl.e539
Chrome is all about ads.
Serving them through the browser rather than the web page.
Easy to see Google serving up Ford ads in the browser when the user goes to a Toyota page...
Or, how about :
"By submitting, posting or displaying the content you give Google a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, and non-exclusive license to reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute any content which you submit, post or display on or through, the services."
Lotsa fun to come. |
Very interesting reads. I am surprised anyone would consider this browser after reading those articles. Yet I'm sure none of that will stop those who are influenced by hype, the fact that its a product from google and not the evil MS empire and of course the word "free". I would rather experience a few crashes than give google basically full control of my internet experience.
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Back to being The Last Windows Mobile Fanboy - now with a Dell Venue Pro!
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