Updated Google Chrome

Google launched a new version of their web browser, Chrome 3, on 15 September. They say that they have major improvements in the site, so I decided to check it out.


Ok, if you go their website (http://www.google.com/chrome) you'll have no idea that they released a new version. There is nothing on the page itself to tell you that. I looked around and found their blog.

This is what they say:

Thanks to a full year of great feedback from our users, we're kicking off our second year of Google Chrome with a brand new stable release. This stable release incorporates many of the improvements and features that we tested out in our most recent beta release, including a 150% increase in Javascript performance since our very first beta, a freshly redesigned New Tab page, an improved Omnibox, Themes capability, as well as HTML5 features.
Read the whole article on http://chrome.blogspot.com/?hl=en-GB

Here is what they say the improvements are

1) Speed: The new Chrome is much faster than before, with an 150% increase in JavaScript speeds.

2) Looks: The New Tab page has been revamped, tab thumbnails can be fixed to the page or removed according to your choice. Thumbnails can also be dragged around the screen. you can also "hide parts of the page you don't want to see, or even opt for a simple list view of all your most visited websites". They have also added the capability to use themes in the browser.

3) Omnibox: For those of you who didn't know, Omnibox is the box that dropped down from the URL bar when you were typing some address. It offered suggestions and recently typed addresses. The Omnibox has also been revamped, making it more small and easier to manage. Icons have been added for greater functionality.

4) HTML5: HTML5 is the latest development in the HTML sphere. Check http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTML5 They have added new tags which allow video embedding and playback without plugins.

Read the whole article at http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/09/google-chrome-after-year-sporting-new.html

Now then, my opinions:
Installation is fast if you have a broadband connection. The installation is about 7-8 MB large. After installation a browser restart is all thats needed. The startup speed has improved.

The new tab page looks good. The thumbnails are fun to drag around. Your favourite pages can now be fixed, you can also remove it.

The Omnibox is better, with icons indicating suggestions, bookmarks etc.

Video streaming options seem to have improved, along with javascript speeds.
I haven't installed any themes yet.

But there are still drawbacks, addons are not supported by Google itself, and adding third party add ons are a bit complex.

Also, foreign language sites are not being shown properly, so thats a drag.

Overall there seems to have been improvement, but still a lot has to be done if Chrome wants to be at par with Firefox.