Metropol

Well lookie here, google's made a web browser!
http://blogoscoped.com/archive/2008-09-02-n72.html

They also did a comic, to explain what it does.
http://www.google.com/googlebooks/chrome/

Will it be any good though?

-altrus

It's curious. And despite the years of endless speculation, I assumed it would never materialise because I could never understand what their angle would be. However they market this, they can't be seen pitching it as a Firefox killer, because there seems to be a general unwillingness to consider FOSS as being able to exist within a competitive market (I don't mean alongside proprietary software like IE vs FF, but rather the idea that two FOSS apps should directly compete to drive improvement).

Presumably they've rushed some sort of nightly build into becoming a shiny beta because of IE 8's second beta making bigger waves than its first, and their featureset rings depressingly similar. For years as IE has played catch-up, Mozilla's been able to enjoy "IE7 introduces tabs - like Firefox!" but I doubt anyone wants to hear "Chrome introduces x - like IE8!"

Their supposed USP is its emphasis on web-based apps, but while it may aim for an experience more like native software for Google's web apps, I have my doubts that Chrome is going to do much to support a web app ecosystem generally.

Quite honestly, I don't really get it. I think Google upsetting Firefox, pissy as it may sound, sets a dangerous precedent in terms of the perception of their "Don't be evil" tag. I mean, I doubt Google will take the line of "whether it's us or Firefox, just don't let it be IE!" if they expect it to blossom at all.

I may be uberly cdding here, but all eyes will certainly be on this beta.

And to add my informed opinion on this - I think it looks wank.

I'm hoping this means I can use different java apps all at once, where they tend to seize up on my machine on either IE8 or FF at the moment.

I'll give it a bash.

Gavin, have you ever tried Safari for your computer? Works like a treat on my new laptop.

davidmcg wrote:Gavin, have you ever tried Safari for your computer? Works like a treat on my new laptop.

I haven't. I'm a safari virgin. Is it different to FF or IE8 in terms of what it can do?

Well it dosen't have add-ons like Firefox has, and well it has pretty much all of IE's features, including Private Browsing, looks great too, as quick as FF and yeah it also makes tea

Safari is bad, really bad.

It makes text blury.


Chrome is running on the same rendering engine as safari though: webkit.

Safari doesn't allow you to turn off it's patented BlurType font rendering. You can set it to degrees of blurriness.

That's as far as I got with it before binning it.

Compared to the weedy nastiness you get with ClearType? Nah, I like to be able to see my text thanks.

http://www.google.com/chrome

You want it?

it's here!