Google Chrome review

Ok this is a continuation of my previous blog on Google Chrome. I hadnt seen the cartoon or tried the download then. Here's the review - part experience and part what i read up on other blogs. 

Firstly, yes they underwhelmed. TechTree has rightly pointed out that it didnt quite wow us this time. In fact the cartoon was so played up that I thought something big is coming up. Add to that Google's reputation of disruptive innovation, and you'd expect something really cool. They've got the basics of navigation and controls worked out and some pretty features. Of course they cant yet compete with Firefox's extensions (not until they have integrated Google Gears and people have acutally put some apps there). And I dont think they want to put in a lot of confugiration options and such into the browser right now.

It still looks and behaves like a browser. Apparently, tests prove that this browser actually does occupy more memory than its competitors, so what did all that re-architecting do? Is it supposed to be for super net-sufers who will have more than 10 tabs open at any time? Is Google building an application that they aim to convert to an OS? (Hint: I am trying to convince you that yes Google is upto something here)

So it would be really cool to have everything as a service that runs off the web and you use Chrome as a window to access that. If Google, is really thinking of changing the way we use Internet to something like this, then Chrome's architecture makes sense. Of course to the non-techies, the UI (user interface) can be changed anytime. So if the architecture is built to support massive, continuous use of internet, I think Google will have a really solid product they can bank on.

The other intersting thing about Chrome is that it has almost no controls (and menus). See if they had provided menus, then we'd be used to thinking that it is a typical browser. Without menus, it has a more free form. With this new free form, Google can then do whatever they want inside and we as users will start adopting it if we like it. So we can technically have a mini OS of sorts that is basically a new kind of browser that can have Google gears, apps, etc inside it. With that not only does Google get us to use their products easily, they also know how we use them.

So all in all, I think Google can make something big out of this. The only doubt that remains in my mind is why did they release it so quickly? Hmm.. any thoughts guys ...

Cheers,

KP.

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