Google Chrome Web Browser
I was excited to hear that Google has stepped into the browser market with the new Google Chrome web browser, but I soon began thinking about all the cross-browser compatibility issues I will having when building new websites. Not just that, but I also foresee pain making all the old sites I have already built work with the new browser.
I have to say that the design of the new user interface lacks design. Google can’t expect to compete with Firefox if the design of the browser looks like it is from the 90’s. I am sure that all my design friends would agree with me.
New Update: Since downloading Chrome, I have found that the actual design of the application is much more appealing than the low quality screen shots led me to believe. I now test all the sites I build in Chrome before sending it to the client.
Here are some of the best features in the new browser:
- Super fast usability
- The supercharged JavaScript virtual engine, V8 (people, please try to use javascript before falling back on flash)
- Isolated tab architecture so that one tab does not crash all tabs and each tab has its own address bar (I wonder if that will take some getting used to)
- The wicked Google Chrome Comic Book introduction to the browser
- It will work on multiple operating systems
- Open source
Screen shot:
Tagged as browser, firefox, google, website + Categorized as Web Design
Don’t be too quick to assume that the design, or lack of it, will hurt them against Firefox. All of my design friends said the same thing about Gmail and were (and remain) surprised by its success.
I do imagine that the UI will evolve though - and hopefully in a positive way. Thanks for posting your thoughts. I’m on a Mac so who knows when I’ll get to play with Chrome.
I personally kind of like the simplistic interface of Chrome. It goes along with their mantra about getting out of the way of the websites you want to go to. They’ve even implemented (according to the comic book) SSB-like functionality, so that all you see is the site, if you want. And, this is Google, after all. Simple is their middle-name.
Still, it won’t replace Firefox for me. I need the functionality that I can only get from Firefox. But, for casual web-browsing, I think Chrome will get a place in my dock for sure.