Google Chrome: A Freeware Web Browser

Google Chrome is a freeware web browser developed by Google that uses the WebKit layout engine. It was released as a beta version for Microsoft Windows on September 2, 2008, and as a stable public release on December 11, 2008. As of September 2012, according to StatCounter, Google Chrome had 34% worldwide usage share of web browsers making it the most widely used web browser. (wikipedia)

An Internet browser developed by Google, that combines a minimal design with sophisticated technology to make the Web faster, safer and easier. The Google Chrome browser offers features including access to favourite pages instantly with thumbnails, desktop shortcuts to launch Web applications, and independently run tabs within the browser to prevent browser crashing.

Chrome is known for is simplicity and speed, and people use it because it gets the job down, fast. But it doesn’t end there, while being simple it is also very customizable allowing users to make it their own, some people get rather sceptical due to that, as they think, ‘if it’s highly customizable, how can it be simple?’

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Chrome’s UI is flawless; it’s simple yet effective that your mind just knows where to go without having to think. This is one of the main goals for any browser, to achieve this, the design and icons that the browser uses have to be recognisable straight away, for instance, the button to get back to chromes homepage is shaped as a house, this way our brain quickly realises it.

Pros.

1. It won’t crash.

Perhaps Chrome’s largest feature is its multiprocess design, which helps the user a lot, protects you from having a bad Web page or application take your browser down. Every tab, window, and plug-in runs in its own environment, so one faulty/broken site won’t affect anything else that you have opened. This approach also adds another layer of security by isolating each site and application within a limited environment.

2. It’s really fast.

Again because of the multiprocess design, one slow site won’t drag down the rest of your browsing. Instead, you can effortlessly click to another tab or window. With plug-ins, the arrangement works similarly: If you open a site that has a slow-loading Java ad, for example, the Java itself will be isolated and the rest of the page won’t be affected. The program itself opens within seconds of when you click the icon, too–a distinct advantage over some slower-loading alternatives. This gives users great control over their browsers and also developers of websites, as they can isolate problems quicker and easier.

3. You barely notice it’s there.

Calling the design of Chrome’s interface efficient is an understatement. The program barely looks like a program, and the vast majority of your screen space is devoted to the site you’re visiting–with no buttons or logos hogging space. Chrome’s designers say that they wanted people to forget they were even using a browser, and it comes pretty close to achieving that goal.

4. It makes searching simpler.

One of Chrome’s signature features is its Omnibox, an integrated all-purpose bar at the top of the browser. You can type in a URL or a search term–or both–and Chrome takes you to the right place without asking any questions. Omnibox can learn what you like, too–a talent that goes beyond the obvious automatic completion function. Say that you want to use the PCWorld.com search function, for example. Once you’ve visited the site once, Chrome will remember that PCWorld.com has its own search box and will give you the option of using it right from Omnibox. The function thus automates keyword searches.

5. It gives you more control over tabs.

Chrome gives the idea of tabbed browsing new power. You can grab a tab and drag it out into its own individual window. Or you can drag and drop tabs into existing windows to combine them. Chrome also gives you the option of starting up in any tab configuration you want–whether a custom setup or the set of tabs you had open in your previous session. Other browsers require third-party add-ons to provide this capability.

6. It opens new doors on your home page.

Chrome comes with a default dynamic home page. As you use it, the program remembers the sites that you visit most often. The top nine of those appear in snapshots on your home page, along with your most commonly used search engines and bookmarks. There’s no force-feeding here, though: You can override the dynamic home page with any home page you want, just as you can set the default search engine to any service you prefer.

7. It lets you stay incognito.

Like Internet Explorer 8’s recent beta release, Chrome offers a private browsing option–one it calls Incognito. You can open a special type of new window and rest easy knowing nothing you do in it will be logged or saved on your computer. And unlike Internet Explorer’s, Chrome’s Incognito window is isolated from the rest of your browsing experience, so you can have your private window open alongside your regular windows, and each will operate independently.

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RockMelt

‘RockMelt is a proprietary social media web browser developed by Tim Howes and Eric Vishria. The project is backed by Netscape founder Marc Andreessen. RockMelt integrates a technique for surfing the web that focuses on Google Search and social media, in particular Facebook and Twitter.’ (wikipedia)

RockMelt is Very Similar to Chrome, it uses an older engine than what chrome uses but otherwise the same, the only thing that is different is the UI, RockMelt’s UI is built for the people who use online social sites a lot, like Facebook and Twitter. The Left and Right sides of the browser are where the main social features are, it displays your friends that are online on the right (Facebook) and links displaying how many messages you have on Facebook, Twitter etc. on the left. Other social features can be found in the title bar and the menu dropdown.

Pros

The Facebook chat integration. The pop-out instant messaging windows enable you chat without needing to keep Facebook open. Plus, by adding friends the favourites list, you can easily see if the people you chat with the most are online.

Another feature is the drag and drop ability. If you are on a website that I want to share with friends, simply grab the link and drag it over their photo on the left side bar. Then you have the option to share it with them via Facebook Chat, Facebook Message, or by posting it on their Facebook Wall. Additionally, you can easily share it with all of my Facebook friends or Twitter followers by dragging to the Share button next to the address bar.

Cons

There are a lot of Distractions! With everything from Facebook to the favourite blog feeds integrated right into the browser, there’s almost too much going on. This is definitely not a browser to be used in the office. While it’s a really useful tool for social media integration, it definitely lowers people’s productivity