Google "Chrome" Enters Browser Wars

[KukriKhan]

Under Apple's WebKIT, google dev's are working up a new entrant with some pretty good (IMO) ideas.

HERE is a comic-book-style briefing about it, and an Apple Insider article discussing some features.

Sounds promising.

[Lemur]

Google finally went live with an announcement. Here's another run-down of the technology.

[Crazed Rabbit]

Eh? They haven't already got enough grasp of the internet?

CR

[Ramses II CP]

Interesting. Chrome looks to me like one step closer to the merger between the OS and the browser, i.e. the 'seamless web' experience or whatever term is trendy these days. Yes, it's still on it's own, discrete, but the method of operation and the availability of fast, free web apps makes the OS level less and less important.

I'm not sure that's what I want for my PC, but anyway...

Many of the improvements it claims are of the same type that OS's went through 10-15 years ago. We'll see how it works. I'll be giving it a run on this old box even though I usually avoid beta software like a plague.

[Alexander the Pretty Good]

I'm reading the comic now. It certainly sounds great.

The Firefox Cult is going to revoke my membership...

[Mailman653]

I'm reading the comic now. It certainly sounds great.

The Firefox Cult is going to revoke my membership...

What's going to happen to the legion of FF fans? Will this cause a kind of "civil war" between those who choose to stay with Google backed FF or Google created Chrome.

How long will it be till someone makes a smiley of the happy face pushing the FF logo aside and embracing the Chrome logo.

[shlin28]

Chrome is... interesting.

Can't see any speed difference from Firefox, looks pretty but clashes with my XP theme, and it messed up my bookmarks.

Other than that, looks good.

[Lemur]

Link to the beta is here.

[Xiahou]

As long as it's fully open-source, I don't see how this is anything but a plus for netizens.

[Caius]

I will test it.

[Lemur]

I'm running it right now. Seems pretty slick and stable for a beta. It does display these forums a little oddly, and it's telling websites that it's Apple's Safari for some strange reason. But I kinda like it. It ain't gonna replace Firefox anytime soon, but it's a neat alternative.

[Papewaio]

Agreed, I just downloaded and have started testing it on sites that take awhile to download... Eve Online is noticeably faster.

I'm posting this from Chrome.

Open source Firefox and Chrome... could lead to some interesting developments.

[naut]

It crashed for me, during install. Not a great first impression.

[Papewaio]

Beta you then me.

[Fragony]

It doesn't work at all, after installing it says it will start in a few seconds, which it doesn't. Program is nowhere to be found either.

it works yay, good stuff it's very fast

[Lemur]

Wired has a lengthy piece on Chrome, and 'cause it's Wired, there's lots of hyperventilating. That's how they roll, yo.

[rajpoot]

I have never used any other web browser than the good old integrated Internet Explorer, so I really don't know what plus points do other browsers offer over it , but I'll be glad if someone could enumerate the advantages for me........?

[Banquo's Ghost]

Lemur, this little story might give you some pause, particularly for your profession.

Granting Google 'a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free and non-exclusive licence to reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute any Content that you submit, post or display on or through' Chrome is coming it rich.

[Lemur]

Feh, the day I'm posting my own work through Chrome, I'll care. But a nice catch by The Reg and definitely something Google's gonna have to explain when they get back to the office. Not appropriate for the "do no evil" crowd.

[CrossLOPER]

Many people appear to be very disappointed with this browser.

[drone]

Until the Adblock equivalent is available, Firefox will remain the browser of choice.

The EULA bit is disturbing, but it looks like they just copied it straight from the Google Accounts text. Chromium, instead of Chrome, is open source under the BSD licence, and would be the "safer" choice. I will probably stay away regardless, Google has vibe about it these days, they want content, they need content, and they need to sell ads to see that content. It's probably too soon to say "All your posts are belong to Google", but it might be time to warm up the zigs.

[Caius]

I couldn't navegate any page today.
All in all, its just a beta.

[naut]

Granting Google 'a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free and non-exclusive licence to reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute any Content that you submit, post or display on or through' Chrome is coming it rich.

Wow, that certainly dents my image of Google. Won't be jumping from the good ship Firefox any time soon then.

[Big_John]

I'm reading the comic now. It certainly sounds great.

The Firefox Cult is going to revoke my membership...

same here, i feel guilty for reading it... gonna have to buy my firefox some roses and a necklace.

[Big_John]

Lemur, this little story might give you some pause, particularly for your profession.

Granting Google 'a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free and non-exclusive licence to reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute any Content that you submit, post or display on or through' Chrome is coming it rich.

since it's apparently entirely open source, won't some third party just compile a eula-free release of it every time a new version comes out anyway?

[Crazed Rabbit]

Feh, the day I'm posting my own work through Chrome, I'll care. But a nice catch by The Reg and definitely something Google's gonna have to explain when they get back to the office. Not appropriate for the "do no evil" crowd.

Bah, that's a facade. They'll do evil if they must to do business (see China's Great Firewall).

And it's obvious they want as much information about you as humanly possible; they are like data-mining vampires.

CR

[LeftEyeNine]

Update - Google amends Chrome EULA

(Updated 4 Sep '08 0830 GMT) Google has amended section 11.1 of the Chrome EULA so that it now reads:

11.1 You retain copyright and any other rights that you already hold in Content that you submit, post or display on or through the Services.

There are now no other sub-sections in section 11. What you see is what you get. Terrific. Google acted with alacrity. Great stuff. No worries. The points below no longer apply

We got an update.

[Lemur]

But ... but why would they change it? Rabbit assures me they're evil!

[Husar]

They're afraid of the consequences the mighty capitalist consumer market would bring upon them by uhm, ehh, using it anyway.

[Xiahou]

But ... but why would they change it? Rabbit assures me they're evil!

Why do people try to assign morals to corporations? They had a PR backlash over the EULA, so they am amended it. They wanted to do business in China, so they censored search results. Google is a 'for profit' organization and they're very good at it.