Friday, September 5, 2008

Google Chrome - Browsy or Lousy?

In case you haven't heard, Google recently released their very own browser, Google Chrome. I admit that I have not tried it yet, mostly because I run Linux on my computer, so I am unable to install it as it is for Windows only. I think this is a great idea and could really go somewhere, but Google is going to have to keep a close eye on it with regular updates and patches that are automatically downloaded. After all, this is being marketed as an easy, simple browser for people who might not be the brightest at using a PC. As a dedicated Firefox user and a strong supporter of open-source software, I think this is a nice browser. It is a great example of how open-source works, as Google took parts of open-source Firefox and Adobe products and mixed them with their own stuff to make a final product. I was very happy when I learned that Google decided to make Chrome open source, as well. This way, the community will be able to improve and expand it to their liking. Companies could also brand specialized the browser for their brand (Like Firefox, eBay edition). Of course, Google always has something different and special about their products and what makes Chrome special is its speed. How does it do this? Multiple processes. Every applet like Java, Flash, HTML, etc. get their own Windows process so that the browser is more stable and speed. For example, if Java had a hand-up and got stuck, a normal browser might freeze because it didn't get the "reply" from the Java applet saying "I'm done!" But Chrome wont because the applet would be self-contained. To read more about about the technology, see the cartoons Google created. So, if you are running Windows, try it out! If you run Linux, sign up for the mailing list. Mac users, click here. If you want to help code it, see the Google Code project. See what you think. Compare it to Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, Safari, or whatever browser you're used to! Please tell me what you think by commenting on this post.

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