Online Marketing Blog from metrocafe311

Google Chrome Screenshots

It seems pretty clear that Google is not stopping until they are number one in everything; and the launch of their new Webkit-based browser last night makes this even more clear.

Taking a heads up from a fellow blogger at CrunchBase, the news of the Open-Source browser; was “accidentally announced” a day before the launch, but gave people a great chance to read through their creative, yet informative Comic explaining the brains behind the project. While it would seem that the aim of Google Chrome is Internet Explorer and Firefox, it seems the true target is Windows. The browser premieres on Windows only, yet Mac and Linux versions are to come later. Google says that the browser has been built for today’s needs, rather than updating a browser that was built for the past.

Features of the browser include tabbed browsing, where each tab is running on its own.  This will lead to faster and more stable browsing, so that if one tab crashes, the whole browser doesn’t go down with it.  The browser also has a distinct user interface, in that tabs are placed on the top of the browser window.

Chrome is also a new JavaScript engine, which was built from scratch; making AJAX applications like Gmail and Google Docs work like magic. In addition, it includes malware and phishing lists that automatically update themselves, and warn you of bad websites.

Additionally, Google Chrome also features a special privacy mode, where you can browse the web without it recording any of your activity…an interesting feature, considering all of Google’s personalisation efforts!  However, they do include a default homepage that displays your most commonly used sites and other personalised information.

It seems they’ve thought of everything, and according to Michael Arrangton of TechCrunch, “When combined with Gears, which allows for offline access, Chrome is nothing less than a full on desktop operating system that will compete head on with Windows.”

At a first glance? One word: PERSONALISATION.  Chrome makes it all the more clear just how dedicated Google is to delivering a more personal experience each and every time someone browses the net; and it seems we all have to get used to it.

Google Chrome proves right along the lines of the Google culture that has taken the world by storm.  Unique selling points in my opinion, when compared to the leading browsers, are the “incognito mode” and the tabbed browsing; where a clean look is given to your browser history.

There are definitely some bugs to work out, but it will be interesting to see how well Google Chrome will be received by the general public; and how we at Interactive Return, as Online Marketers, might need to prepare for a major shift in our search engine optimisation efforts in the near future. I will continue to test Chrome out in the coming days; and if all continues to go well, then Google may have just won me over and brought me one step closer to making Google the one-stop shop for all of my communication needs. 

Emer Lawn, Online Marketing Executive, Interactive Return