Google Chrome First Word: A Real Alternative?

 

Google Chrome Screenshots

Google Chrome Screenshots

It seems pretty clear that Google is not stopping until they are number one in everything; and the launch of their new Webkit-based browser last night makes this even more clear.

Taking a heads up from a fellow blogger at CrunchBase, the news of the Open-Source browser; was “accidentally announced” a day before the launch, but gave people a great chance to read through their creative, yet informative Comic explaining the brains behind the project. While it would seem that the aim of Google Chrome is Internet Explorer and Firefox, it seems the true target is Windows. The browser premieres on Windows only, yet Mac and Linux versions are to come later. Google says that the browser has been built for today’s needs, rather than updating a browser that was built for the past.

Features of the browser include tabbed browsing, where each tab is running on its own.  This will lead to faster and more stable browsing, so that if one tab crashes, the whole browser doesn’t go down with it.  The browser also has a distinct user interface, in that tabs are placed on the top of the browser window.

Chrome is also a new JavaScript engine, which was built from scratch; making AJAX applications like Gmail and Google Docs work like magic. In addition, it includes malware and phishing lists that automatically update themselves, and warn you of bad websites.

Additionally, Google Chrome also features a special privacy mode, where you can browse the web without it recording any of your activity…an interesting feature, considering all of Google’s personalisation efforts!  However, they do include a default homepage that displays your most commonly used sites and other personalised information.

It seems they’ve thought of everything, and according to Michael Arrangton of TechCrunch, “When combined with Gears, which allows for offline access, Chrome is nothing less than a full on desktop operating system that will compete head on with Windows.”

At a first glance? One word: PERSONALISATION.  Chrome makes it all the more clear just how dedicated Google is to delivering a more personal experience each and every time someone browses the net; and it seems we all have to get used to it.

Google Chrome proves right along the lines of the Google culture that has taken the world by storm.  Unique selling points in my opinion, when compared to the leading browsers, are the “incognito mode” and the tabbed browsing; where a clean look is given to your browser history.

There are definitely some bugs to work out, but it will be interesting to see how well Google Chrome will be received by the general public; and how we at Interactive Return, as Online Marketers, might need to prepare for a major shift in our search engine optimisation efforts in the near future. I will continue to test Chrome out in the coming days; and if all continues to go well, then Google may have just won me over and brought me one step closer to making Google the one-stop shop for all of my communication needs. 

Emer Lawn, Online Marketing Executive, Interactive Return

4 Responses to “Google Chrome First Word: A Real Alternative?”

  1. Mike Wilson said:

    Sep 03, 08 at 12:07 pm

    I had a read at the blog here and i agree with some points on the new Google browser Chrome. It certainly is a good looking browser with some interesting features but most of the features are ones that are offered in alternate browsers. Most of the hype from google points out that Chrome renders pages faster and runs multimedia rich sites better than IE and Firefox, it is also touted that it has the ability to process Javascript far better thant its two main competitors but after extensive beta testing it only offers a minor benefit as far as i have seen.

    The one thing Chrome does do is bring us alot closer to the aspect of cloud computing which many see as the future of computing and i have to agree. Chrome is a step in the right direction but i feel it is far from the IE and Firefox killer that many believe it to be.

  2. media kingdom said:

    Sep 03, 08 at 6:25 pm

    despite the rumors, i’m finding Chrome’s speed to be inconsistent; it seems to alternate between going lightning fast and then hanging for no apparent reason…

  3. Google Chrome - This is the big one. « Martin Murray’s Blog said:

    Sep 05, 08 at 11:05 am

    [...] Emer Lawn at Interactive Return has covered some of the features and functionality of the new browse… This post is going to investigate the business significance of Google’s latest contribution to the online world. [...]

  4. Online Marketing in Ireland » Blog Archive » Google Chrome - This is the big one. said:

    Sep 05, 08 at 1:19 pm

    [...] Emer Lawn at Interactive Return has covered some of the features and functionality of the new browse…. This post looks at the business significance of Google’s latest contribution to the online world. [...]


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