Google Chrome Bricks and Bouquets

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I’ve been working with Chrome off and on for a week or so now, and I’m preparing to replace Firefox with Chrome as my standard browser on at least one PC.  Why?

Speed.  It is noticeably faster on many of the sites I use.  I don’t think this is a placebo effect.  I think the updated V8 javascript is having an impact on GMail, WordPress and others.

Convenience.  There are a lot of small things that Chrome does that others don’t.  All of the major plug-ins are already installed.  It keeps track of the sites I frequently visit and places them on my home page when I load the browser.  

Design.  I’m sick of the fact that every tool I install into Firefox or IE wants to consume a toolbar.  Chrome’s default UI, with a few simple tabs at the top of the page, is clever and maximizes the real estate I have to work with on the screen.  They’ve broken the Windows GUI paradigm, but they’ve made it better. 

There are some gotchas, however.

Installation.  Chrome breaks the Windows install paradigm.  It doesn’t put the application code in the program files directory, opting to install in the hidden directory AppDataLocal.  What does that mean?  Every “user” on a computer has to install Chrome themselves, including users without Administrator privilege.  Not only is it a waste of disk space, it’s a security flaw. 

Compatibility.  I’ve encountered several sites now which don’t work properly in Chrome.  

Overall, Chrome gets an enthusiastic two thumbs up from me.  If this is what browsers will be in the future, bring it on.  I’m ready. 

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Alec Saunders is the Vice President of Developer Relations for BlackBerry make Research in Motion. This is his personal blog, with his personal viewpoints. Prior to this Alec was the CEO and co-founder of Calliflower — the easiest way to hold a meeting, online, on a conference call, or on the go. A double-decade veteran of product management and marketing, he spent nine years at Microsoft where he helped launch Windows 95, the first two versions of Internet Explorer, the Universal Plug and Play initiative, the push into home markets, opt-in email marketing and what might well go down in history as the very first direct email list ever.