First Peek on Google Chrome
24 hours later, I downloaded Google Chrome. Amazingly, the total .exe file size is only 474KB! Unbelievable! At the age of bloating desktop browsers, this seems like super slim new star at the horizon walking charmingly towards us! Even in this age of broadband, this is still a massive software engineering effort to come out with something so little in file size. If first impression counts, I am sure this is one of the best examples.
Installation is a breeze. It took about 3 or 4 minutes to get Chrome installed. Not surprising, once I click on the launch button, Chrome got fired up very fast, even on my very old Pentium IV 2.4Ghz 524MB machine. The browser comes as very streamlined and lean. Even much faster than the previous speed king Opera>.
The maiden web application I loaded up on Chrome, is WORDPRESS 2.6 which this blog is based on. Wordpress CMS to me is always a web application that loads tediously. But on this occasion, it gets loaded up in about half of the usual time!
Popular but intensive websites like Facebook gets a speed life under Chrome too. Previously under Firefox version 3, the loading feels sluggish but please try to login to your Facebook account under Chrome and instantly you will feel a significant speed difference! So do trying to login to Blogger.
Besides the browsing speed, the main thing I see which is different from other browsers is that the tabs are positioned right at the top of the windows. This means the space has been fully maximized and this allows you to see more web space. Another innovative improvement. One interesting thing I discovered is that, each individual tab can be “detached” from the browser to form a new windows application that runs on its own. From what i read at the Chrome comic book, each tab is an individual process or thread that uses its own chunk of memory, hence if a website on a particular tab crashes, only that tab will be affected, and not the whole browser, and this is a great impact on the efficiency of a web user. Imagine of you are write a long 1000 word article and the X brand browser crashes, you will be cursing your way for the whole day! But in Google Chrome, this will not happen to you as only the tab will be affected.
One important feature which is missing now is the RSS. Currently this beta version of the browser does not allow user to import a RSS stream right onto the browser environment.
Also, Mac and Linux users have to wait for the Google Chrome team to develop the respective version of the browser for these two operating systems.
As usual, security is not compromised. The browser is able to warn users when they come to suspicious websites or websites with malwares hence you can have a peace of mind.
Interestingly, there is another mode of usage which many guys will be delighted with. It is called the “Incognito” mode or some bloggers labelled as “porn” mode. This is what Google officially explains about this mode, “Webpages that you open and files downloaded while you are incognito won’t be logged in your browsing and download histories; all new cookies are deleted after you close the incognito window. You can browse normally and in incognito mode at the same time by using separate windows”. So when you are in the stealth mode, a new browser windows will be launched with a cartoon image of a spy wearing coat and sunglass at the top left corner of this new windows.
That’s all for now. I will add on more as I spend more time on Google Chrome.
But I have a feeling Google Chrome is going to be my default browser anytime. Speed is a huge factor nowadays.
Remember this is only a beta version and I can’t imagine how it will be like when the final version is completed!