The web is celebrating the advent of the new competitor in the browser arena – Google Chrome. Here are some points you should note before jumping into the conclusion that Google Chrome is a huge revolution in the browser history.
The bugs
Here are some bugs I saw in the Google browser:
1. The task Manager is a main feature in Chrome. But let us get this straight: It does not work as intended always. Look at the screenshot below:
Chrome crashed and the Task Manager option was disabled so that I could not check what was wrong. If the task manager is disabled when the browser crashes, what is the point in having a task manager in the first place?
2. The browser crashes too often. I used the browser in three different machines and the browser tends to crash once in a while. This is very annoying considering the fact that the latest versions of Firefox and IE are rather robust.
There is even a very simple way to crash the browser.
Just type “:%” in the omnibox (address bar). Voila !!!
Another annoying thing is that when the browser crashes, it crashes every single instance of the browser running, not just the current window.
Other Interesting facts
3. Chrome is not the fastest in terms of JavaScript performance it seems. Two different tests confirms this. In one test Firefox is ahead if Chrome while in the other, Safari is ahead. It is just that Chrome outperforms the other browsers in certain tests which Google handpicked by itself. Anyway it should be noted that Internet Explorer versions are all lagging behind by great margins in every single test.
4. Tab manipulation and the omnibox are not really a big step as far as web development is concerned. Those are just usability tweaks that can be incorporated in to any browser without much effort.
5. Chrome does not support add-ons as of now. This is a very huge drawback when compared to Firefox. Without add-ons, the functionality of Chrome is very limited. We can only hope that Google will incorporate the support for add-ons in the next iteration of the browser. The Firefox tribe (The early adopters) will hesitate to switch to Chrome because of this one single drawback.
6. Regional language support is poor. I still cannot not find out how to render some regional language web pages correctly in Chrome. Especially the option to change the font representing a regional language is missing.
7. There are many other smaller glitches like the absence of Full-Screen, absence of option to restart downloads etc.
So what is there to be excited about Chrome? The multi-threading capability and ability to isolate tabs are not a big innovation either. The IE team have been experimenting with this for IE8.
A much loved feature would have been the support for JavaScript multithreading. But Chrome does not support that also. There is no real innovation in the rendering engine front also. Chrome if just reusing the webkit rendering engine which is powering the Safari browser.
The only big thing about Chrome is the new fast V8 JavaScript engine and it capabilities. I am not sure if we can bank on that for creating wonders in the web.
As of now, I will go back to my much loved Firefox3. The Beta 2 version of IE8 also looks promising. It does have a lot of new features. It will make many Microsoft fans very happy. I will wait until Google comes up with some thing really different, something really game-changing.
That’s “voila,” not “viola.”
“Voila!” is an exclamation – http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/voila
A viola is either a small flower or a slightly deeper toned, larger violin: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/viola
Oops!!!
something about beta you dont understand?
It is not entirely about beta. Even if you forget the few bugs in Chrome, there is no ‘great’ feature in it that will make Chrome an instant hit.
It is just another browser. That’s it.
> The only big thing about Chrome is the new fast V8
> JavaScript engine and it capabilities. I am not sure if
> we can bank on that for creating wonders in the web.
Don’t you think that you trivialize it a tad too much?
Binil,
JavaScript engines in the Firefox and Safari browsers are super fast too. What is the big deal?
I’m glad you have not been fooled by chrome as well.
I think if one more thing comes out with a “beta” tag I may be sick. Everyone must realise that if something is made public it is no longer “beta”. You should stand behind everything you release.
I also can’t even begin to care about Chrome. Google is becoming more boring with each day.
Silky,
Right.
It’s a beta. Hello?!?
Niyaz PK, Nice Post. hope Google will fix this all issues very soon.
“”Everyone must realise that if something is made public it is no longer “beta”. You should stand behind everything you release.”"
Alpha release is private testing
Beta release is public testing
And I have not had a single crash and been using all day. The “:%” crash posted did not crash my browser. The security model they use is going to work great when “addons” or “extensions” are added. The core ideas behind it are wonderful and simple. And for an early leak I am very impressed.
Now that chrome is officially out, its time you compare it from the point of view of a common user and set aside the computer techie in you. Not that the tests you mentioned are not valid arguments for chrome being better than others.
I find it always faster than any other browser out there. I realise that it is not loaded with add-ons just as firefox, I am sure you if give them a little more time, Google will show what they really can. (I agree it just like saying Linux is faster, Both doesn’t do anything)
bynge,
Chrome is really fast, and because of this it is my default browser now.
As per the current benchmarks, safari is the fastest browser. So you may want to check out safari too.