Google Chrome: Our Coverage So Far, and a Poll
By Harry McCracken | Wednesday, September 3, 2008 at 10:44 pm
Was it only day before yesterday that we got the startling news–via the startling medium of a graphic novel by a leading cartoonist–that Google had secretly been working on a Web browser and was about to release it? Yup–and it was only yesterday that that browser became available for download.
I’ve had a blast writing about Chrome over the past 60 hours or so. And you guys sure like reading about it–my posts have gotten as much traffic and comments as anything I’ve done on Technologizer to date. Herewith, a recap in case you missed any of the major coverage here to date:
Ten Questions About Google Chrome: My initial thoughts about what the browser might mean, before we knew much about it.
Google Chrome Comic: The Readers’ Digest Version: A highlight reel from the 38-page Scott McCloud comic book that Google commissioned to introduce its browser.
Google Chrome: Hey, That Logo Looks Familiar: Random musings on its color scheme!
Google Chrome: My Stream-of-Consciousness Notes: I install and explore the browser, and share some initial impressions as I do.
Needed for Chrome: The Google Toolbar: I discovered that Chrome doesn’t support the Google Toolbar or replicate its features. I missed it. Judging from how much traffic and comments this post got, I have plenty of company.
Chrome vs. the World: I had so much fun writing about Chrome yesterday that I contributed this piece to PC World, with some thoughts on what Google’s browser may mean to the competition.
Google Chrome: Impressive! Innovative! Incomplete!: Some thoughts after twelve hours of hands-on time with the browser.
Project Fakebar: Since there’s no Google Toolbar for Chrome yet, I attempt to fashion a rough approximation, and tell you how I did it.
That’s it so far–I’m sure there will more to come. Now for a quick T-Poll:
24 Comments
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24 Comments For This Post
September 4th, 2008 at 9:56 am
I like the speed of Chrome, but I dont like that the address bar and the search bar are combined. When you type in an unresolved address such as beatmeloveme.com, instead of taking you to http://www.beatmeloveme.com, it takes you to the google search results. This adds a step in the process, shows google as the referrer and records usage history. Not sure I like it, but I will keep it to see if any plug-ins are developed like with Firefox.
September 5th, 2008 at 2:24 am
chrome is just not complete. Of course it should have the Google toolbar and all its advantages and it will not come into general use until it does. I cant work without a form filler. I use Roboform but it cant be integrated into Chrome so Toolbar is the answer.
September 5th, 2008 at 8:04 am
I love form filler on Google Toolbar and also the fake email address plugin. I know that this is in it;s infancy stage and I will just hold on to see what will become of this. But I do know one thing…Firefox had better come out with a Happy Meal with a extra large Fry (Free). When Google strikes it strikes hard.
September 5th, 2008 at 9:35 am
I WANT A GOOGLE TOOLBAR FOR CHROME!!! I also want the options to save the web page, print the web page, and all the other features I have in Firefox. I ditched Explorer after weeks of continuous crashes on a daily basis. There just has to be a better browser than Explorer!!! And I do LOVE my iGoogle home page!!!!
September 6th, 2008 at 8:29 pm
Chrome needs google toolbar.
It is a pain to have the address bar and the search bar combined.
September 7th, 2008 at 5:01 am
Without gooble toolbar it’s useless to me.
September 8th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
Great and easy-to-use browser, but no Java support – no option for me, I will use FF.
September 9th, 2008 at 4:33 am
I’m not seeing the speed they are talking about. I use the google tool bar spell check over and over … I have no idea why they would ever put a browser out that does not have it built in. Their search engine and the toolbar put them on the map .. Did they forget that ?
September 10th, 2008 at 4:54 am
I agree, without the Google toolbar it’s really useless to me. I definitely need something more reliable than IE, but I connect to several networks when I work at home, and many of the secure ones won’t support anything else but IE. Hopefully, this will change in the future, and I sure would like to see Google be trusted enough to expand. What were they thinking about the toolbar???
September 12th, 2008 at 5:54 am
Toolbar is critical to my continued use of Chrome. Chrome is fast and I love how it fills in userID/password where needed right away. But, I can’t use chrome to admin. my website, which works best on firefox. I also don’t like having bookmarks hidden on the right where I have to use a mouse to open this folder. Ditto for accessing and using the little page icon for copying and printing website pages.
September 13th, 2008 at 1:11 am
I agree wholeheartedly with most of the commentators on this site and the INet in general, Chrome just isn’t good enough without the Google Toolbar.
I’m sure that they’ll sort this out though. I’m also sure that they’ll sort out the mouse wheel click scrolling and all of the other niggles.
Give ’em time. They’ll listen. If they don’t we’ll just ignore Chrome and their project will wither and die.
September 22nd, 2008 at 9:05 am
I like the Chrome and use it as one of my main browsers now kicking IE to the curb. I still use Firefox (using it right now) due to all the good plugins but for webmail, gmail, and most other pages I keep up all day I use Chrome because it’s so efficient and fast. Unfortunately, evidence points at Chrome nibbling away slightly at Firefox while Microsoft’s market holding firm.
October 15th, 2008 at 11:09 am
Google stripped down Chrome to make it run fast (good) but they went a little too far… I miss some key features such as Print Preview.
October 16th, 2008 at 4:59 pm
google chrome without google toolbar its like a cheese burger without the cheese
December 13th, 2008 at 10:17 am
The first thing I looked for was the Google toolbar (the quickest way of searching any site you are on, to the exclusion of all others). Astonished not to find it in place. Apart from that Chrome seems at first glance as good as Firefox.
December 16th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
I will not use Chrome with out the Google Tool Bar and Print Preview.
December 16th, 2008 at 9:17 pm
Chrome MUST have google toolbar and have it quickly or i think people will lose interest (in addition to other plus-ins)
VIVA FIDEL!
December 18th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
I agree that plugins, addons, and toolbars are needed. I normally use firefox and have quite a few time saving addons. I can’t see how Chrome will have lots of interest when there is already firefox where there are many developers making addons to improve the browser’s features. Sure Chrome is alot better than IE, but ANY brower is better than IE at the moment.
I’m sticking with firefox for now especially after Roboform announced Chrome will never work with roboform.
December 29th, 2008 at 12:28 pm
Until it gets the google toolbar, I won’t be using it. I’m just too dependent on that for a handful of things I do. However, the moment it does run the google toolbar (or something better), it will go on all my personal computers and every workstation in the office, and I’ll probably use it as exclusively as the interwebs will allow.
That is, if it doesn’t just die on the vine, because by not including the g-toolbar right now, a lot of people who feel like I do might never adopted it and spread it to other the systems that come under their direct control. I personally have to be responsible for over a few hundred installations of Firefox (and I’m small potato’s). However, I never would of bothered if it didn’t run the google toolbar.
FYI – I just used the g-toolbar in Firefox to spell check this comment.
February 17th, 2009 at 2:36 pm
Chrome is fabulous for its speed and sleek looks.. but worthless without GOOGLE TOOLBAR… desperately waiting for an inclusive version of chrome..
March 27th, 2009 at 1:35 pm
I am not quite in tune with several comments here. Google Toolbar? Never used it. No fan of toolbars.
And it is exactly the single input line that I like most! I cannot remember typing in the web address from the memory, manually. I do not remember such things- always use the google first to find me the page :))))
And now I am beeing offered the search word sequences after typing in the first one, and the suggested relevant sites out of history- well, simply Great! Thats how the things are done, not by following the conventions, but by thinking, and google obviously good at that. Forget about the habits ,people, when offered a better posibillity.
March 27th, 2009 at 1:48 pm
Btw. link to the Beatmeloveme.com is broken. ( No wonder in such relations) You are offered a choice, David, after typing in the incomplete address, whether chrome should take you there (after completing it, which it does:) or should a google search be made.
Just dont press enter wihout making a choice:)
July 20th, 2009 at 12:02 am
I can’t believe Google still doesn’t have a toolbar for it’s own browser. I’ll just stick with Firefox.
August 19th, 2010 at 8:26 pm
Quit it there working on it. try EXTENIONS there WAYYYYYYYYYYY better