Microsoft hasn’t publicly commented on Google’s new Chrome browser, but Redmond’s Internet Explorer 8 team may wind up echoing Mozilla’s makers: We’re not worried.
Google launched Chrome on Tuesday with all the hype you might expect. Google said it created Chrome because the company believes it can add value for users and help drive innovation on the Web. But will Chrome really give IE8 and Firefox a run for their money?
“Competition often results in innovation of one sort or another — in the browser you can see that this is true in spades this year, with huge JavaScript performance increases, security process advances, and user interface breakthroughs,” Mozilla CEO John Lilly wrote in his company’s blog. “I’d expect that to continue now that Google has thrown their hat in the ring.”
Where’s the Browser Beef?
Chrome uses components from Apple’s WebKit and Mozilla’s Firefox, among others, and Google is making its code open source. The company said the browser is “clean and fast.” Google also pointed to features like keeping each tab in an isolated “sandbox” to prevent one tab from crashing another, and improved protection from rogue sites.
But for all the hype, Michael Gartenberg, vice president of mobile strategy for Juptermedia, said Chrome is somewhat underwhelming for a first release. If it had come from anyone but Google, he added, this browser would not be gaining widespread media attention.
“The user interface is a little bit different. It’s much more smartened. It comes down to whether you like things like a menu bar that lets you access options or not. Certain aspects of Chrome that Google talked about, like better speed and performance, were unnoticeable,” Gartenberg said. “None of the Firefox add-ons work. It’s interesting that one of the most prevalent add-ons, the Google Toolbar, is unavailable for Chrome just yet.”
Purpose Isn’t Clear
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