Five things to love about Google Chrome

Chris Tompkins — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 11:09:47 -0700

Google’s new browser has been a sensation since it launched this week, and for good reason -- it’s a great product. Here are five things you might just learn to love about Google Chrome.

1. It’s fast.

Chrome’s new JavaScript engine is significantly faster than other browsers when it comes to loading Ajax-heavy websites like Digg. On top of that, many other Web-based services and software load in a flash with Chrome.

2. It’s simple.

Everything about Chrome’s interface is efficient. Tabs are presented on top, which subtly highlight which Web pages are open. The UI only has three buttons, rather than endless pull-down menus for unneeded options which clutter up space. Preferences are explained in simple, easy to understand terms to help the uninitiated Web user. And finally, the theme is aesthetically appealing, yet visually neutral, keeping distractions to a minimum. All these things combine to make the uncomplicated browser we’ve always wanted.

3. It has just the right features, and no gimmicks

Chrome sports a number of features which are useful without becoming gimmicky. Some are original while others are obviously cannibalized from other browsers like Opera. Separating tabs is a personal favorite if mine because I work with many Web-based services. The ability to pull away a tab from its parent window to compare Web pages side by side is very useful when data needs to be copied from one tab to another. The second feature that comes in handy is the most-visited thumbnails. These display when a new tab is opened and are adaptive bookmarks which me quickly what sites I was likely to visit. Finally, a small feature that caught my eye is the combined search and address box. While it’s not a new feature, it demonstrates Chrome’s ability to reduce the number of boxes and buttons needed to perform a multitude of functions.

4. It’s more efficient.

After loading up Firefox and Chrome side by side with the same six tabs, Firefox took over 100 megabytes of RAM, while Chrome’s combined processes took a mere 61. Chrome was also about 20 percent more efficient than Internet Explorer 7 in the same side by side comparison.

5. It’s just the beginning.

Google has just released Chrome and it is already a significant competitor to all other established browsers. As Google continues to develop and refine Chrome in subsequent releases, it will only get better, faster, and more efficient.

Even if these five things haven’t convinced you to swear your undying allegiance to Chrome, they do give you a good reason to take a peek at the new browser. Who knows, you just might find you like it a bit more than you expected. You can download it here (Windows XP and Vista only) and after giving it a spin, tell us what you think of Chrome below.

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