Perhaps one of the biggest suprise announcements of the year has hit the web in the form of an online comic book. While the blogosphere and the forums were buzzing with the rumours of Google releasing their very own web browser, an announcement was made yesterday on The Official Google Blog, that the search engine giant is indeed releasing their own browser named “Google Chrome” …
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All of us at Google spend much of our time working inside a browser. We search, chat, email and collaborate in a browser. And in our spare time, we shop, bank, read news and keep in touch with friends — all using a browser. Because we spend so much time online, we began seriously thinking about what kind of browser could exist if we started from scratch and built on the best elements out there. We realized that the web had evolved from mainly simple text pages to rich, interactive applications and that we needed to completely rethink the browser. What we really needed was not just a browser, but also a modern platform for web pages and applications, and that’s what we set out to build. |
The blog entry goes on to say the beta version is slated to be released today, September 2nd, with the link to download the new browser here.
Chrome will be based on the open source project WebKit, which means hackers and crackers everywhere will have access to the source code to tinker with. Apparently Google has been mucking with the Open Source community to develop their new browser instead of building their application from scratch which makes me wonder if Google Chrome is really a unique browser or if it’s just an extension much like the ill-fated Neo-Planet browser of the late 1990’s.
Who will be using the Google Chrome browser? I’m not sure that I’m willing to install a full blown application from Google on my personal or business computers. Given Google’s history of ignoring personal privacy and tracking people’s internet surfing habits for marketing puposes, I would be hard pressed to allow their browser software complete access to my computer’s operating system. In my experience, a beta release of a software application is questionable at best and I personally do not want to wind up being a victim of malicious software such as was with the Agloco toolbar which inflicted one of my laptops with a severe trojan virus last year.
If you read my previous article about Micrsoft IE8 adding privacy controls that could potentialy spell disaster for Google’s Adsense program, it’s not suprising that Google would have some sort of kneejerk reaction such as this to combat the backlash stirred up by Microsoft regarding Google’s privacy policies.
Adsense publishers are also scratching their heads wondering if it is just a fluke that the withdrawl of the Adsense Referrals program, which was dominated by Firefox download referrals, was timed to coincide with Chrome’s imminent release ?
What do you think? Will you be using Google Chrome or will you stick with the browser you’re already using ?
[…] Read the rest here: Google Chrome - A Better Browser or Just Blowing Smoke ? […]
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Come on ? WTF is Google thinking? Concentrate on search engine and quit tinkering around with all this nonsense.
Google is a big promoter of FireFox. Why would they make their own browser?
Looks like garbage in my opinion #1 and #2 they only support XP and Vista (Cutting many ppl off)
Dave, I think you might be right on that point of not installing a new product so early. I’m wary of using their new browser and will take a wait and see attitude of the masses before I would even consider using their browser.
I don’t want any possible spware tracking my surfing habits etc
Anyone know if they are going to offer $1 per download???
@Nathan - It does seem rather strange that Google already has a controlling interest in Firefox but now they’ve went into direct competition with them ?? There’s something else going on here.
@Giovanni - I’m definitely not installing it, not now, not ever. I already have a perfectly working browser (Firefox) and have IE, Safari and Opera for developing websites but since Chrome is based in the same code as Safari, there’s no need for me to ever install Chrome.
@Carolyn - Google cancelled the referrals program so I doubt they will be offering any incentive for affiliate to promote Chrome.
I installed Chrome on my laptop running Vista SP1 and it choked on every website I tried. Several were Google’s own sites including Engaget, GMail, and Google Docs.
Ten minutes later I uninstalled Chrome and will not be back for a second helping.
Don’t you love how little Matty Cutts is just taking his personal time away from his important duties as Google’s search engine spam expert to plug Chrome to all the drones who read his silly blog ?
He’ll do and say anything to get those stock options back to where they were last year.
So did Google build a new JavaScript virtual machine? Why? Was there something wrong with the original one or does Google hve something up heir sleeves to spy on us?
I had to see for myself and I put it on my old laptop to test it. I have to say the browser looks like it was designed for pre-school kids. I am not impressed. It crashed when I tried to view a video on YouTube. So much for the effort but yo think they would at least test i o a site they own like YouTube ???
Google is wacky these days.
Wow, this is tough. Firefox is just the best bit who would not try to go with another Google product?
I will tinker with Chrome and see what real advantages there are over Firefox
I´ll definitely check out Chrome!! Google will not let us down, I´m sure it´ll be a great product! GOOD POST!!
I downloaded it and only used it for about 15 min. before going back to firefox.
I tried it today (using it to make this post, in fact), and honestly it isn’t worth all of the hoopla. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with it, but its not significantly different from Firefox, and I’ve already got FF tweaked just the way I like it. Plus, do we really need another browser?
great information….but you are being too nice to the Google monster. Google is the evil company and now they have the browser of evil. Install this creature at your own risk of it stealing your identity.
@Chris - I think most internet developers and webmasters will be sticking with Firefox. I for one can’t live without :
1.) SearchStatus plugin
2.) Stumbleupon toolbar
3.) Cacheviewer plugin
4.) Web Developer plugin
5.) Greasemonkey plugin
6.) Compete toolbar
I think if Google really wants newbie users to use their browser and has no clue what developers want in a browser.
Not to mention, I really don’t see Microsoft or Apple shipping the browser with their OS (a huge loss for Google’s market share). Google left Mac and Linux users out of the mix, so I don’t see them entering the Linux market (which Firefox commands).
I seriously wonder what Google was thinking with entering the browser market???
Google Chrome is really fast!
Now I can sort 200,000 records inside of Browser (Chrome) just in 1 sec. (Faster than Microsoft Excel):
http://www.ardentedge.com/ex_if.htm
Chrome is just another browser. Its getting a lot of press today because everything Google does gets a lot of press, but Chrome is not worth all of the attention its getting. I’ll be uninstalling it.
I just saw somebody who said they are using a packet capture tool to monitor conenctions coming from Chrome and he said it is making all kinds of connections from his computer even though he doesn’t have any pages loaded.
Sounds like spyware to me. I’ll stay away from it for sure. I don’t like being spied on.
So you think Google Chrome is a safe browser?
Type :% into your address bar, see what happens :-)
Did you see the EULA license that says Google will own your content you post in chrome ?
11. Content license from you
11.1 You retain copyright and any other rights you already hold in Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services. By submitting, posting or displaying the content you give Google a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, and non-exclusive license to reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute any Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services. This license is for the sole purpose of enabling Google to display, distribute and promote the Services and may be revoked for certain Services as defined in the Additional Terms of those Services.
You are behind the time. The EULA was changed because Google made an error and copy/paste the EULA from their other product.
Google confirmed this already.
As we are mostly webmasters here, most of us know all about the Google toolbar and fact it has been used to track all user activities until now, even Google never stated nor denied neither case. There is most likely tracking embedded in Chrome that will be used for the same purpose.
Before you think about downloading Chrome, read this article :
http://www.searchenginejournal.com/german-security-office-warning-chrome-is-bad-for-surfing-the-internet/7645/
For those who are shouting that Google’s EULA says they own any content you post, blog or create using Chrome browser, see Google’s official response
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2008/09/update-to-google-chromes-terms-of.html
The new EULA reads :
11. Content license from you
11.1 You retain copyright and any other rights you already hold in Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services.
The EFF is also warning that Google Chrome has privacy issues…
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10032047-2.html
Privacy advocates are starting to sound the alarm over a feature in Google’s Chrome that sends anything typed in the browser’s Omnibox back to Google.
Google told CNET News earlier Wednesday that it plans to store about 2 percent of the data it gets back, along with the IP address of the computer that sent it. Google said it won’t receive or store data if users turn off the auto-suggest feature or if they select a default search provider other than Google or if they are using the product’s “Incognito” mode.
Another monolithic company trying to corner the market! Is this the start of Googles demise? I for one will be sticking with Firefox, I just love the plugins. Google being the widget king though I’m sure will be churning these tools out too.
The first security patch for Google’s new Chrome browser is out, fixing at least two “critical” vulnerabilities that put Windows users at risk of code execution attacks.
The patch, which is rolled out automatically via Chrome’s auto-update feature, also addresses two additional security vulnerabilities — the carpet-bombing issue and a denial-of-service flaw that could lead to browser crashes and data loss.
http://blogs.zdnet.com/security/?p=1865&tag=nl.e539
At least with Google Chrome being relased on such a mass scale, the vunerabilities will be known very quickly because hackers and crackers are on this trying to find security flaws. It’s a good thing, not a bad thing.
well i dont like it i dl’d it
not even the google toolbar or anyhting
kind of boring actually
its not a resource hog at all..
I guess this is going to be good after all
The only problems I’ve encountered in a week of use were two large PDF downloads which stalled and took down Chrome not just the window in which they were running.
Google Chrome is no match for FF! They still got lot of work to do to get on that level.
I use and rely on too many Firefox plugins. I won’t be switching anytime soon. It is kind of scary to think that Google is following the growth plans of Microsoft. I wonder how long their motto will be “do no evil”.
I downloaded it and only used it for about 15 min. before going back to firefox. I was pretty impressed with how fast it was but…I do not believe it is any faster than a fresh install of FF. Im still a FF fan!
My answer is Chrome is just blowing smoke. Nothing I really need in Chrome that I already didn’t have with Firefox.
I don’t think so that google chrome will become popular for me its quite complex using it.
I don’t know that what other people opinions are?
Google is trying to do everything and we all know that a jack of all trades masters none.
firefox’s new minefield will blow away all of them … safiest thing of all is not to surf … what about all the other things you installed on your PC? realizing that antivirus companies sell viruses so you would buy their product … all of you … wake up and disconnect … im doing that now … im going into the wild ;)