Google has announced the introduction of its own web browser, called ‘Google Chrome.’ The new multi-functional web browser has been launched in the BETA mode, in more than 100 countries on Tuesday, September 2nd, 2008. For some time now, Google Chrome is exclusively available for Microsoft Operating System platforms, however, Google will release its versions for Mac and Linux as well. In the creation of Google Chrome, Google has used the components from Apple’s WebKit and Mozilla’s Firefox, instead Google is making it as an open source browser.

Google has introduced Google Chrome via a comic book. Here, find the Google Comic Book.

Following are the features of Google Chrome:

1. 1.An open source platform including Google Gears integration.
2. 2.JavaScript Virtual Machine called V8.
3. 3.Special tabbed browsing functionality.
4. 4.Autocompleting & search powered address bar.
5. 5.Incognito mode where “nothing that occurs in that window is ever logged on your computer”
6. 6.Ability to launch web applications in browser windows.
7. 7.Advanced privacy / malware / phishing protection.

According to Google, “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.”

Screen Shots of Google Chrome:

Google Chrome from the service’s frontpage

The auto-completion of the so-called “omnibox” address bar

The homepage showing 9 thumbnailed pages to access, along with more pointers in the side-bar, to appear “[e]very time you open a new tab”, as Google says.

This screenshot shows Google Calendar and a dialog reading “Create shortcuts in the following locations”, listing Desktop, Start Menu and Quick Launch Bar.

Zooming in on the browser tabs

The Google Chrome task manager, e.g. to monitor if certain sites cause memory problems.

A screen showing the “Google incognito” mode for allegedly more private browsing.

Another auto-completion example.

A star near the address input bar lets you bookmark a page, apparently.

A look into the settings menu.

Google in their tour says with Chrome “you see your download’s status at the bottom of your current window.”

Here is a demo video from ShoeMoney of Google Chrome for all our viewers to enjoy:

This entry was posted on Saturday, September 6th, 2008 at 2:14 am and is filed under Google. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.