Previously, I told you how to update Chrome to the latest dev build. Google now has an official way to do this. It is called the Chrome Channel Chooser.
http://dev.chromium.org/getting-involved/dev-channel/
It basically lets you tell Chrome to update using the built in updater, but to download dev builds instead of official builds. (Note, this only works for Chromium, not Chrome)
First it was(to the best of my knowledge) safari, with private web browsing. Then IE8 Beta 2 introduced a feature which is essentially the same thing called "InPrivate". Then Chrome added this feature in as "Incognito". Mozilla has announced that they will add the same feature under some other name to the next version of firefox(3.1). More details here.
I've decided that the review of Chrome that I was going to write is just a composite of all of the Chrome posts I've been making, so I might someday make one big Chrome post, but for now its lots of little ones. This is a list of five things that Chrome really needs to be a better browser:
1. Bookmark management - This is virtually non-existent in Chrome, and needs to be fixed. There is not much more to write about this.
2. Saved sessions - When I close my browser, I want to be able to save a session. When my browser(or computer) crashes, I want my tabs restored. Chrome does this to a limited extent, allowing you to autostart with the last session, but that will do it every time without asking you. It needs to manage sessions in the same intelligent and useful way that firefox does.
3. A cross-client version that works on Windows, Mac, and Linux.
4. Ask after install if you want data sent to google, tell the user that this will happen if they approve it, but that the data will not be used for anything bad.
5. Addons and Extensions like those for Firefox.
Internet Explorer marketshare fell by 1.4 percentage points to 71% today. Chrome grew to 0.7%, firefox grew by 0.3% points, safari grew by 0.4% points, and opera grew by 0.01% points. It seems that all of the publicity comparing Chrome to the other alternative browsers has gotten some of the less likely users to experiment, at least that's my theory. Whatever the cause, this is good news for the opensource movement.
So in the opensource community Chrome(or its counterpart Chromium) is making a big splash, but Linux and Os X users have been left out, as Chrome is currently windows only. Sure, on a Mac, you can run parallels or something like it, but what to do on linux. This is what WINE is for. WINE allows some windows programs to be run under linux. Fortunately, lifehacker has a guide to WINE. Hopefully that should tide you over until linux gets Chrome natively.
You know that really funny comic introducing Chrome? Well, some clever photoshoppers have been making mashups of it ever since its release, and here they are.
(Image courtesy of Valleywag)
Seeing as Chrome is all that has been in most blogs, I thought that it would be appropriate to get all of the chrome out of my system and do a marathon. So, Portable chrome. It functions just like regular chrome, but you can stick it on a flash drive, network drive, or any other medium that doesn't requires the that software not require installation. It is available here.
There have been a lot of reviews of Google Chrome, but it is often forgotten that it is opensource and therefore can be edited and compiled by anyone. Chrome and Chromium look the same.
I've honestly forgotten which is on the left and which is on the right they look so similar. Chromium feels a bit faster, and some flash videos seem to play better. Checking the builds shows that the current Chromium build is a bit newer than the Chrome beta. Chromium is available here.
I'll be reviewing the two together in full tomorrow, not looking at the differences, but treating them as one browser because of the similarities.
Update: As of build 1800 of Chromium, the tabs do not scale correctly. They cover up(when there are enough of them) the minimize and maximize buttons, and the add-tab button covers up the close button. The workaround for now is to right-click on a tab to close it, and to use the tasbar to alter the window.
Google recently released a new web browser, Chrome. I've been using it as my main browser since it came out, and on the weekend there will be a special Chrome post(lots of screenshots and tests). Until then, here's one screenshot:
Looking much like its predecessor, there are no obvious visual problems with the new version. It introduces web slices, which are mini-sites stored up in the top bar.
While this is potentially very useful, the limited number of slices really limits its uses right now. There is still no addon equivalent, but there are contextual tools called accelerators.
These can be added by clicking "Install Accelerator", and add features to the right-click context menu.
When text is selected, the Accelerator button appears:
Clicking on it brings up the accelerator menu:
Mousing over an accelerator provides a preview of it:
Under More accelerators, there is an option to "Manage Accelerators". Clicking it brings up this menu:
This allows the default accelerator to be set for a particular job. It also allows management of the search providers, as well as any toolbars or extensions that you have installed.
Browsing feels much faster and more responsive in this version, even compared to firefox (although that may just be all the addons I have installed on firefox). Certain things, such as loading gmail, are noticeably faster in this beta than in firefox or opera (although safari has them all beat when it comes to loading gmail). Downloads are definitely a lot faster in IE now than in other browsers, with IE starting off with an 80% improvement in download speed, and finishing with an average speed about 70% faster than firefox.
(This is on a 10Mbit down connection with comcast)
This version does not pass the Acid3 test(fails at the LINKTEST)
but it does pass the Acid2 test.
There is now a session manager, something both Opera and Firefox users will appreciate.
The new search bar gives suggestions from any search engine supporting them. It defaults to windows live search, but MS provides plugins for other search engines.
One of the less important features on Internet Explorer 8 is the ability to privately browse the web. When in this mode(labeled "InPrivate"), Internet Explorer will remember nothing about your browsing session.
Finally, a feature which is immensely useful, and which firefox users will appreciate, is the new and improved address bar:
Also known as the "Smart Bar" in firefox, this new address bar looks for autocomplete, history, and makes a .com suggestion. This speeds up some of the more repetative tasks performed online, and is a good new feature to see in internet explorer.
Overall, the Internet Explorer 8 Beta represents a fairly large step forward, and if these features are properly expanded on and developed, it could take back the market share that firefox has been acquiring over the past few years. Some of these features make me want to switch away from firefox, and if it weren't for Ubiquity, Better Gmail(For Gmail Skinning), and Scribefire(The only thing close to this in IE8 is the "Blog with Live Writer" accelerator), I would.
Web Browsers have for some time now included a search bar, allowing the user to quickly and easily search with just one or two clicks. The next logical step is to make that search identify what you are looking for based on where you are, and this is where Ubiquity for firefox comes in.
Ubiquity allows the user to bring up a search bar that does just that, with no clicks, just a keyboard hotkey.
The Ubiquity search box searches its commands as you type, and often tries to include whatever you have selected in its search. For instance, you want to email a page to your friend, you just type email this to *Friends name in contact list*(Note:Only works on Gmail so far). You want to search for an address you've highlighted on google maps, you just hit the hotkey(Ctrl+Space) and type map, and it will look as follows:
Ubiquity has many built in commands, and others can be added by subscribing to command lists, which will eventually include a trust network similar to the current firefox addon one. The official demo video from Mozilla Labs is available below.
Ubiquity for Firefox from Aza Raskin on Vimeo.
Ubiquity is available at the bottom of the Mozilla Labs Ubiquity page.
