Google Chrome
September 1st, 2008 · by David Bradley
Google has announced its web browser via a cartoon apparently. The download link to the Chrome page is now live. Download takes less than a minute on 10Mbps.
Anyway, this new browser is a little special. Instead of having tabs that run within the browser window, each tab will have its own chunk of memory and processes. Managing tabs is then the job of a task manager like that found in an operating system, such as Windows. The implication of this to my mind at least is that the browser will act to coordinate the various tools offered by Google if you want it to - Google Search, Desktop Search, Gmail, Google Virtual Drive (when it comes), Web browsing, and Google Docs.
The new browser also has an incognito window, within which nothing is logged, much like the InPrivate feature of Internet Explorer 8. I wonder whether it was Google or Microsoft that came up with the idea first and is this a feature we should expect to see in the next releases of Opera and Firefox?
More on Google Chrome from the usual news sources via this page. For what it’s worth, Robert Scoble is on record as saying: “Google reignites the browser war. This is a BIG deal… can’t wait to try it out.”
If it is the first step towards a (virtual) Google OS, then yes it is a big deal, if it’s just yet another browser, then I’m not convinced. Of course, it could all be a big con and there is no Google Chrome…we’ll have to wait and see.
If you are not in one of the 100 countries deemed fit for the first release of Google Chrome worry not. Depending on how they set things up, it’s possible you could still be able to download it by running a virtual private network (VPN) with a US IP address using Hotspot Shield or similar software.
UPDATE: Sept 2, 2008: It’s now official, Google released Chrome in 100 countries on 2008-09-02 You can view the original leaked comic strip that alerted the blogosphere to the imminent release of Chrome forcing Google go public sooner than they’d hoped.
Couple more points to make about Google Chrome - the name? Have they essentially hijacked the term used by browser builders for the brushed-steel menu bars? They obviously also know their chemistry as they release Chromium, the open source version.
You can now download Google Chrome here. It’s on my machine and just finished installing.
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7 responses so far ↓
Michael // Sep 1, 2008 at 9:29 pm
“I wonder whether it was Google or Microsoft that came up with the idea first…”
Actually, Safari has had a Private Browsing function since 2005.
“…and is this a feature we should expect to see in the next releases of Opera and Firefox?”
Apparently Safari having the feature didn’t make it compelling enough to either the Opera or Firefox teams. At least with Firefox, though, there are extensions to help out.
Maybe with Microsoft adding it in, the other browser makers will finally get on the ball. After all, how could they live with the shame of IE having an awesome feature that they don’t have?
I’m keeping my fingers crossed for seeing it for Opera at least, since that’s my main browser.
I started looking through the cartoon but by page 4, the pages kept timing out. I’ll try again later in the week when less busy.
I wonder when (not if) the day will arrive when there are no more browser wars but we have one GUI to see and do what we choose.
Ari, I think the next generation “web”, web 3.0, the semantic web, whatever you want to call it will see the convergence of various consumer products and the internet so that at some point it won’t be a case of using a browser to search and display stuff, we’ll have some kind of interface (perhaps in a TV, but more likely some kind of media/info/control center) that will generate a cloud of information/entertainment/controls with which we’ll interact. We won’t need a one-to-screen approach as our computers will know what we want/need at any given time and will simply require a nudge or command to tell them to carry out the task.
Ah, well got Michael, always forget to think about Safari…I reckon your prediction will be right though, t’others will follow suit.
Farhan // Sep 2, 2008 at 9:19 am
Its very interesting that Google has decided to take on a project like this. They obviously have such an interest in how people access the web, it was only a matter of time before they took things into their own hands. It is going to be very interesting to see how this pans out.
Google Chrome browser Screenshots
http://www.tonesall.com/computers-internet/google-chrome-screenshots.html
Looks like Chrome will essentially be a standalone version of iGoogle and ultimately Google OS…
This was Bill dream but fail now Google will take over the world.
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