Google joins the Browser Wars

[echo1 0]

From the official Google Blog:

Quote[/b] ]A fresh take on the browser

9/01/2008 02:10:00 PM

At Google, we have a saying: “launch early and iterate.†While this approach is usually limited to our engineers, it apparently applies to our mailroom as well! As you may have read in the blogosphere, we hit "send" a bit early on a comic book introducing our new open source browser, Google Chrome. As we believe in access to information for everyone, we've now made the comic publicly available -- you can find it here. We will be launching the beta version of Google Chrome tomorrow in more than 100 countries.

So why are we launching Google Chrome? Because we believe we can add value for users and, at the same time, help drive innovation on the web.

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.

On the surface, we designed a browser window that is streamlined and simple. 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.

Under the hood, we were able to build the foundation of a browser that runs today's complex web applications much better. By keeping each tab in an isolated "sandbox", 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 a more powerful JavaScript engine, V8, 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're releasing 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 will continue to make it even faster and more robust.

We owe a great debt to many open source projects, and we're committed to continuing on their path. We've used components from Apple's WebKit and Mozilla's Firefox, among others -- and in that spirit, we are making all of our code open source as well. We hope to collaborate with the entire community to help drive the web forward.

The web gets better with more options and innovation. Google Chrome is another option, and we hope it contributes to making the web even better.

So check in again tomorrow to try Google Chrome for yourself. We'll post an update here as soon as it's ready.

They have a comic-book thing about their plans and motivation behind it here. It will be a free, open source program, and betas are supposedly out there on the internet. Of course, it's too early to know whether this will be the next Firefox... or just the next Safari. But with Google's huge resources and advertisement, its bound to get used one way or another.

[kavoven 4]

Of course I will use a Google browser, thats the best way to keep my data secret!

[echo1 0]

This is something that will definitely put a lot of people off trying their browser, but then again, the way I see it - everything I search goes through Google. All my emails go through Google. Google sees what I do anyway, and people's web patterns are monitored no matter what browser you are on (eg. Alexa) At any rate, given the choice between a Google browser and a Microsoft Browser, I wouldn't have a hard time making my choice... At any rate, I'll give this "Chrome" a shot for a week when it comes out and see if it has any benefit over my beloved Firefox.  

EDIT: Found a link to the installer - here.

[soul_assassin 1744]

Im typing this while in chrome, and Im impressed. Clean, minimalistic to the point that i can't notice the top bar so it feels like im in full-screen mode, nice features like the new tab creation method and most importantly a fantastic speed improvement over IE in all sences. Firefox dont work so I had to use IE the past few weeks and maaaan was I pissed off at how slow it is.

Anyway read the comic and it sounds pretty solid. I'll come back here in a week and see how i feel then but so far I like'em

[Infam0us 10]

Is it a Firefox beater though?

[soul_assassin 1744]

Well the fact that Firefox has the "save-as" bug which renders it useless and unfixable is enough for me, and also Chrome feels lighter and even more pleasing than firefox + some clever multithreading which makes it more stable so if say one tab crashes then the whole browser doesnt crash but just that tab.

[Placebo 28]

Save-as bug?

[echo1 0]

Is it a Firefox beater though?  

I've been playing around with it for the past few hours, and I am also very impressed, which is no mean feat, because I have used many different browsers since I started using Firefox (then Firebird) about 5 years ago, and this is the first one that I'd actually consider ditching Firefox for. Right now I would say that it is on par with the current version of Firefox in terms of functionality and speed, which is no mean feat considering that this is a beta and Firefox has been around for 5-6 years. (Although this being an open source project, alot of the groundwork is from other browsers, for example, it uses the same rendering engine as Apple's Safari browser)

Obviously I haven't used it for long enough to form a completely objective opinion, and there are problems; it doesn't have the huge wealth of extensions, there seems to be a lack of customization, particularly in regard to themes (or as far as I can see) and there are some things that came with Firefox that are missing - in particular the RSS feed. What I will say that it very much has the potential to be a Firefox beater with a few months more effort in it. Mac and Linux versions are in the pipe too it seems.

[soul_assassin 1744]

Save-as bug?

Its a well documented unsolved bug which causes every use of Right-Click>Save As..., Right Click>Save image as... and interaction with button elements Firefox to crash. So far no solution beside a total wipe of all firefox data and user profiles and installations and reinstallation (for some, for other that even doesnt work). I got this bug and it rendered firefox unusable for me.

[The_Captain 0]

I just installed it and I think I switched from firefox 2.

I didn't like firefox 3 because of its maddening, not revertable autocomplete: I want it to complete my URLS, not search my history!

Chrome is fairly fast and streamlined, and I doubt I'll have a reason to go back to firefox or way back to IE.

[soul_assassin 1744]

yeh i still cant get over it. I think what firefox really benefits from is the plugins (aside from being just faster than IE). But for now Firefox out the window and IE should burn in hell forever and ever (u'd think that after version 8 they'd get it right but nooo)

[Daddl 10]

If only there were addons like AdBlock Plus and Foxmarks for Chrome... I'd switch immediately! But until then it's a nice toy,  but no replacement for Firefox in any way.

I really like the way you cn drag & drop tabs from one browser window to another and the anonymous surfing option - although I gather it's quite limited AND you have to explicitly open such a tab BEFORE entering a website - Firefox' privacy settings achieve the same by optionally deleting all user data on exit.

[Albert Schweitzer 10]

a competitor for firefox? Maybe not in all areas. No other browser offers this broad variety of addons, especially for site builders and all who "actively" work on the net. Firebug,FirePHP, WebDeveloper, DownloadHelber, DOM inspector all those are great additions I do not want to miss.

Besides I am sceptical about the amount of browsing-information that floats back to Google. I have nothing to hide but I do not want to become a transparent customer.

[Placebo 28]

Save-as bug?

Its a well documented unsolved bug which causes every use of Right-Click>Save As..., Right Click>Save image as... and interaction with button elements Firefox to crash. So far no solution beside a total wipe of all firefox data and user profiles and installations and reinstallation (for some, for other that even doesnt work). I got this bug and it rendered firefox unusable for me.

Aha I see thanks, never heard of it and never had it fortunately I had some problems with slow and stalling browsing but it turned out that was down to Kaspersky, although for a long time I thought it was Firefox or an addon which was quite annoying

[Thunderbird 0]

I'm quite satisfied with Google's browser as it provides the minimum required for a decent surfing on the net alongside with a good speed of pages loading.

Regards,

TB

[NoRailgunner 0]

Google says it has a right to display some of your content, in conjunction with promoting its services.

Quote[/b] ]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

....

The manner, mode and extent of advertising by Google on the services are subject to change without specific notice to you."

Google likes those people who dont read the terms of service.

[echo1 0]

I presume by that they mean content to any of Google's services or sites? Because that's probably the case already.

The other thing that has me skeptical about the whole "Google browser is reading your mind/emails/blogs/porn stash etc." sort of argument is that it's open source (released under a standard BSD license not some cop out Google license as I thought when I first read about it) so that A) people can actually examine the source code and see if Google has included any software in the code to enable spying on you and B) Someone can quite feasibly release a non-Google branded version (much in the same way there are non-branded Firefox spinoffs in Linux) which is quite likely considering that there will be a lot of people who will want to use the browser, but not have Google branding.

[Infam0us 10]

Does Google's offering have the ability to add user made plugins and themes? If it does I might consider switching it ...

[Daddl 10]

I think so. What annoys me is the lack of a good ad blocker. I'm using AdBlock Plus with Firefox, and now with the Google browser I can't believe the bullshit I have to see/endure on most websites. As long as there's no equivalent available for this browser its basically a no go for me!

[Mr_Tea 0]

The way Google acts in trying to collect every possible user-data, their Browser will not make it on my machine.

I have all Google and Google Syndication cookies blocked, and that for an reason. They don`t would collect all the data only because they are bored and needed to have something at hand.

[echo1 0]

From Wiki:

Quote[/b] ]Terms of service

A Slashdot news item drew attention to a passage in the terms of service for the initial beta release, which read:

"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."

The passage in question was inherited from the general Google terms of service. The Register summarized the passage as "Your copyright goes up in smoke." Google responded to this criticism by stating that the language used was borrowed from other products, and would be removed. They also stated that the change would "apply retroactively to all users who have downloaded Google Chrome."

The passage in question has since been removed from the Terms of Service.

Well, at least they listened to people's concerns.

[Mr_Tea 0]

Today an official warning came out in Germany concerning the Chrome Browser, as it`s still not safe because it`s beta stage, and as i mentioned earlier, it let Google collect to much data about you.

I´m still in love with Firefox, with NoScript and Adblock it`s the most save browser you can get.

If you want to give away any privacy go Chrome, but be warned.

[soul_assassin 1744]

Today an official warning came out in Germany concerning the Chrome Browser, as it`s still not safe because it`s beta stage, and as i mentioned earlier, it let Google collect to much data about you.

I´m still in love with Firefox, with NoScript and Adblock it`s the most save browser you can get.

If you want to give away any privacy go Chrome, but be warned.

Quote[/b] ]If you want to give away any privacy go Chrome, but be warned.

If you dont want to give away your privacy. Stay The F*&^ off the internet

[Mr_Tea 0]

Surely not.

Google collects user data like an vacuum cleaner the dust, that is to much to me, and what i expected from that browser as soon he was announced.

[echo1 0]

and as i mentioned earlier, it let Google collect to much data about you.

No more so than IE allows MS to collect information about you, or Firefox allows Mozilla to collect information about you. In fact, you didnt really as much specify that Google is actually spying on you as much as you just stated that you don't like Google.