Google's Chrome Arrives

On Monday, September 1, 2008, word leaked out, as word often does on the Internet, that Google had developed a browser. Initially this seems to be unremarkable; there's been speculation for years that Google might do something like this, and it doesn't take a genius to work out that they'd at least have a prototype around somewhere.

The remarkable elements are threefold. First is the way the information was presented: a comic book. This is surely the first time a product has been announced in such a way, and definitely the first time it's been used to launch software. Google claim to have inadvertently sent out this comic a day early, but - and this marks the second remarkable element - the Internet reaction to its appearance online was stellar. The links to related articles on Techmeme grew at an amazing rate. Twitter exploded with comments, and Google's own top search engine term was an investigation into the whereabouts of this new browser's download URL.

Remarkable thing number three: it would be available tomorrow. This wasn't just some confirmation that Google had considered their own browser, or that they had something in development for a near future release, this was an honest to God, working Google browser which would be in the hands of the general public - well, anyone running Windows at least - in a few hours. Chrome, as it was to be known, was coming.

There hasn't been an Internet phenomenon like this for a long time; the anticipation for Google's first shot at the crowded browser market was almost comparable to the hype that Apple's reality distortion machine builds up prior to a new product announcement. After hours of mounting excitement and speculation, during a streamed Google press conference, Chrome's download link went live.

The reaction has been interesting to watch. Walt Mossberg seems to have concluded that IE8 offers a better web browsing experience at this stage. Web developers have bemoaned the fact that they now have yet another browser within which to test their work. Mac users have bemoaned the fact that they can't use the browser yet. Twitter's search facility always makes for an interesting barometer at times like this, and the opinion there seems to be largely positive. In fact, there are a large number of Twitter users who seem hugely impressed with Chrome's speed and stability.

My first few hours with the browser have mirrored that opinion. Chrome has a minimalist aesthetic that's quite pleasing to the eye. Browser tabs are positioned above everything else, in total contrast to Firefox and IE's user interface, and when you start using the application you realise why; they can be snapped off from the main browser into their own, totally independent window. The address bar (dubbed Omnibar by Google's team, thanks to its combined search and address entry capabilities) sits beneath the tab window, as do navigation buttons. Each tab is, essentially, its own application; this is one of Chrome's biggest strengths. If one rogue web site tries to crash your browser, Chrome will simply shrug and disown the tab in question.

Article Author: Daniel Woolstencroft

Daniel Woolstencroft is the brains behind Is There Food? - containing topics as diverse as zombies, Apple, technology, film, and other assorted strangeness. Also follow him on Twitter.

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