It’s on: the Google Chrome vs. Firefox vs. Internet Explorer browser war is officially underway, and Google Chrome is still in beta form.
Firefox version 3 set a new world record when it was downloaded over 6 million times on its launch. So how will the similarly open source Google Chrome web browser fair versus that figure? [click continue reading for more on this entry]…
Well we don’t know yet how many downloads Google has had so far for its Google Chrome browser, but the huge spike in web searches for the term Google Chrome, according to Google Trends, suggests there is massive activity in cyberspace as users queue up to kick its virtual tires.
Searches for ‘Google Chrome’, according to Google Trends.
Improved features in version 3.0 of the popular Firefox browser included faster browsing, a graphical refresh of its menus and better stability. All of these are things that Google is also claiming will make its Google Chrome web browser a cut above the rest – specifically citing the likes of a more powerful JavaScript engine it’s calling V8; tabs that run in splendid isolation so that a stall or crash in one doesn’t stall the whole browser; and a ‘clean’ look and feel just like Google’s eponymous web search engine that should help to keep the browsing experience ticking over as quickly as possible.
“On the surface, we designed a browser window that is streamlined and simple,” Google says of Google Chrome. “To most people, it isn’t the browser that matters. It’s only a tool to run the important stuff – the pages, sites and applications that make up the web. Like the classic Google homepage, Google Chrome is clean and fast. It gets out of your way and gets you where you want to go.”
“Behind the scenes, we were able to build the foundation of a browser that runs today’s complex web applications much better. By keeping each tab working in isolation, we were able to prevent one tab from crashing another and provide improved protection from rogue sites. We improved speed and responsiveness across the board. We also built V8, a more powerful JavaScript engine, to power the next generation of web applications that aren’t even possible in today’s browsers.”
“This is just the beginning – Google Chrome is far from done. We’ve released this beta for Windows to start the broader discussion and hear from you as quickly as possible. We’re hard at work building versions for Mac and Linux too, and we’ll continue to make it even faster and more robust.”
So what do you think of Google Chrome versus Firefox or IE? Drop me a comment – I don’t care which browser you’re running 😉
You can download Google Chrome here. More commentary on Google Chrome versus Firefox here.