Google Chrome: smoke or roast?
September 3, 2008 6:24 pmClarion calls please .. announced by all major newspapers of the world is now available on "Microsoft Killer" (as many defined) Google Chrome.
And when I say daily .. I do not mean the usual bullshit that we read Geeks .. talking about the Courier and Le Monde. And not in some back cover .. front page!
But What Is Chrome you say? And why half the world's newspapers and talk about it? The first question I can give you an answer, the second is not 
Chrome is simply a web browser. You know Firefox or IE? Here's the same thing, but which has been developed by the stronger existing trading today on the Internet: Google. Just a web browser.
Just a web browser?!?! No, a Google product intended to destroy the world as we know it more or less like the new particle accelerator at CERN will create a huge black boco `suck us all!
`Laughter aside, Google is the heavy-handed meddling in an area where Microsoft had resisted until now (with some success) only by an open source solution (just Firefox) and of course he does great, pulling out as a beta product that has already seemed to be like its competitors.
Who reads me a long time knows that I have some sympathy for Google, but lately things are changing (I know that the table have limited to two meals a day .. a real scandal 
): I'm available for download to download course slingshots.
After a nice cartoon-style presentation that will surely do `happy friends Aizercast, I admit that I was very skeptical .. All the Buzz I read that yesterday would have been justified? Here's a guide to day use.
First bad surprise, the Linux version is not yet available: give us your email and we'll let you know .. humm you get hurt 
Ok we go to the laptop on which I have a WinXP ready to support (and bear) testing. Download, install and launch.
First impression: a thunderbolt! It just opened, without changing any settings, the layout is exactly the same as that of my office Firefox in full screen (only in Firefox I need at least 4 add ons for it).
Top of page to navigate some simple .. everything runs smoothly and fast as I had never seen a browser to go. I do not speak of `speed downloading of course, but the rendering-speed, a real show!
Ok test basis is passed .. is time to start with something really interesting, my Netvibes page. Everything works and is actually VERY fast!
It seems that it is ready for the big road test .. a day use only, leaving the rest ons: value then all data from Firefox (cool .. also imports the password confirmation that the security of Firefox password manager leaves much to be desired!). And start my workday.
After a couple of hours of use are becoming more enthusiastic very usable, very fast, use little memory and now there is ever planted. In addition using the "Task Manager" I can see the resources used by each web page .. definitely something that I missed in Firefox.'s been three hours: the first crash. The PC is become extremely slow and I realized that there were two processes that were running chrome .. maybe one was left over from a closed window above. Unfortunately I have no choice, I must kill the process. And here's the first problem, I have kept to reopen the tabs above! This could definitely be a reason to return to Firefox .. activating the (few) options available to reload the tabs left Open the last time you resume anyway to navigate from where you left off: I have a habit of leaving a dozen tabs open when you ll have time to read .. which may mean after a week ..
Other hours have passed, little had no more problems, and while I found other really nice functionality: When you open a new tab you do not get the white page from Firefox, but a page full of ideas: the list of most visited sites, some with all the bookmarks and history. All very well prepared .. `but little practical difficulty for people like me off the fingers from the keyboard. Should add a few shortcuts in more.
Application shortcuts are also very interesting, combined with Google Gears could really replace many stand alone applications (MS Office you feel?).
Another thing I found so cool that in a moment of pause (then use the browser for personal reasons): the Incognito mode. You can surf all the sites you want and they will not be "traced" from your browser. Nothing in the history it references the sites most visited: very useful if you want to navigate to some vessel in the northern waters of working with laptop
Small grains: if you go on a page and right click you can choose "Inspect Element. A crazy cool, lets you browse the page structure for each item showing a lot of information, CSS properties, time of lying, any errors. All with a visual interaction with the page (if you go with the mouse over an item, this is highlighted in yellow on the original page!
We almost time to go back to the little family waiting for me .. time last test: open many tabs. And when I say a lot .. I mean really a lot I have a folder in my bookmarks that contains more than a hundred links, ALL of them open in a new window chrome. I admit that I expect a crash .. `but I charge them all, very fast!
The application is still stable, I can switch from one tab to another without delays. A real surprise! Firefox would have already kicked in the ass if I tried Here's proof
At the end of the day that I can not answer the original question by saying that I think it is fried .. Roasted much! Google went there `heavy downward, pulling out after two years developing a product that far exceeds IE7 (how much time / money invested Microsoft?) and in some ways even Firefox (not sure of this I can cheer).
If you add that Chrome is released in open source (although the style of Goolge) and laying the foundations for what we see in Android, the future seems more and more under the wing of the big G.
Sure .. All is not gold that glitters: Google is preparing to invade our desktops with the missing piece of the chain, buying more or less full control over our activities. It is always discussed the monopoly imposed by Microsoft, I think it's time to start moving the shot and focus on other fronts. (And do not tell me that to ask which search engine you want to use immediately after installation is a test of good faith in Google ...)
Even in terms of innovation I would sing a miracle .. bottom with Firefox and some add-ons already available you get more or less the same results. Basically it is a browser, is not that one might expect who knows!
I would not still be in the role of project leaders will have to justify ... IE Why a team with virtually unlimited financial resources is not able to produce something equally competitive: how they managed to "lose" the race in a market that they saw virtually undisputed leaders first against Firefox and now against a very young product like Chrome?
Meanwhile came the first reaction, were found the first bug (I've found myself a couple) and the first security problems. All normal for a young product, nothing to worry Google.
Here they are also the first confirmation: Chrome is fast .. fast. Several tests (more or less independent) give better results with Chrome and Firefox or IE.
In conclusion, if like me you use linux, go put some candle (and give your email to Google to show that the Linux market and there is urgent) to get Chrome to more quickly, but if you use Windows .. try it and I'm sure many of you will go ons `retired.
I personally will stay is still a bit of time with Firefox because Chrome does not yet support some add-ons I need, but still Chrome User `whenever he wants is a stable and fast browser.
Tags: browser , chorme , Firefox , google , linux
10 Responses to "Google Chrome: smoke or roast?"
Confirm the impression of speed, but Firefox (and its extensions) are even higher. Obviously things will get better is just a beta. I sent into retirement rather than IE6 and IE7! ... And look how wrong I open http://www.microsmeta.com (With FFX, IEX and Safari on Linux, Win and Mac display is perfect ...)
Welcome back in fashion GEEK!
I think the problem of the `extensions will be solved soon, I'm not surprised if in reality the entire development platform was already ready and many extension developers had already been contacted ..
Indeed there are some problemini the rendering of some pages and some fonts, but the superiority of Firefox do not agree.
From my experience of Chrome is more stable, more fast and more usable in Firefox without extensions. And in the end extensions I use daily are only two ..
You're the first blogger I read a review of this Chrome .. and I must say that at the end so "reading" seems a good product to be a Beta. I say "reading" because I have no intention of upgrading to Vista just to try a software ... patiently waiting for the Linux version, where I really need another browser. If the Linux version will be equal than the Windows version I'm happy to use it! I try to answer your question "why a team with virtually unlimited financial resources is not able to produce something just as competitive?" Mica people working for Google is the same as working for Uncle Bill
If it takes eight pairs of genital to enter the big G There must be a reason! And the products are necessarily more ...
Confirm the initial impressions. It is a great product.
I hope to see the Linux version out quickly, but as I wrote do not need sight, just a XP (even in a VMWare) to try and realize what they did.
Compared to the second part of your post, unfortunately it seems too simple to limit the matter to the men recruited. Not that Microsoft is taking dogs and pigs .. I believe that the prestige of working for MS or bigg is more or less comparable. In my opinion we must go back to the processes, the definition of roadmaps and probably the same vision we have of the market.
Eventually, the developers do what they are asked to do, that is MS or Google or Apple changed very little (so that much of development is then given to external society perhaps in India or Croatia). The problem seems to be the foundation for decision making: as if MS is not able to meet more demands of the market with their products .. IE and Vista are two examples, but in business it is starting to feel on both the back office and on that server.
Perhaps never be able to clone that wizards Bill?
Hello Andrew,
thanks to your review I've tried Chrome, not a technician like you all I have to try it from a simple man in the street.
However from what little I could see it seems to me that fully respects your proof, just something I can not do or to download directly from sites like Jamendo. Chrome when I download an album from J, instead of starting me on direct download window opens with the great "Q" for quick time and start to make me listen to songs, I think its a settings problem, and then depend on me , can you tell me how can I do to fix it.
Hello Alexander.
Ale you identified? I believe that by default does not specify Jamendo album downloading, and when you log in you takes your preferences and then makes you do the download without problems.
I just tried and it works fine.
Let me know.
Hello Andrew,
at this time are with chrome on Jamendo, identified. I'm trying to download "Drop Alive" but the window of preparation is constantly loading and I start the DL. He says "Please wait, downloading the file is being prepared ..." but nothing happens.
Hello Alexander.
See connections
last night when I did the test to be sure not to write crap, I downloaded that album 
I had no problems. I just tried again.
Maybe he was a temporary problem Jamendo ...
Hello Andrew,
maybe it was just like you said, a problem Jamendo, the fact is that now I am unable to download an album.
Thanks for everything, Alexander.
I noticed that I CAN NOT COPY ON MY MP3 Podcasts RADIO RAI, which I normally do with IE. Anyone know how to get around this?
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