Sep 3, 2008
OK, I should be getting some sleep but I have been wired all day and thinking too much about well...too many things. Anyway, I wanted to let you guys know that Google's new web browser, Chrome...is pretty cool.
It is still beta software (meaning it is a work in progress...but you know Google calls everything beta just so you won't think it sucks if something doesn't work right) so there are some kinks. I have had a few tiny hiccups running Facebook and its inline spell checker won't work in my Movable Type Blog entry interface (a HUGE deal for me). Anyway, if you have not checked it out hop on over to this link http://www.google.com/chrome. There are some cool short vids and even a comic book (yes, really) explaining the features of the new platform.
Just so you know - this is Google's OS play - they want to control the space that applications run in on your browser. It is an end around both OS X and Windows (or Ubuntu if you like) so developers can write software for the browser and not a certain OS API. Kind of cool...but to be honest I like things that have a client and cloud computing combination...perhaps if Google can actually get Gears to work well it will be an interesting platform. Yet for now I like it that I can get all my stuff to interoperate - I connectc to Exchange with Outlook, sync automatically to Google Calendar where I can see my stuff and our family's stuff overlaid with each other...and can access it all from my Palm Centro.
In the evolving computer world this is an interesting play...whether they will take browser share from Internet Explorer or canibalize the market share gains garnered by FireFox is yet to be seen. I will say that most people who are tech saavy have moved to the Fox...so it seems to me it isn't grandma who will switch or consider switching to Chrome - but FireFox users like me...if they can get spell check to work in ALL web forms. Those special nerds who use WebKit will enjoy Chrome - it is based on that rendering engine.
Enjoy...
Comments
Not to quibble, but they want you writing java apps because of the new V8 engine they are putting in. Google is heavily invested in Java.
They will not dent IE unless they start making deals with Dell, et al., to put chrome on new machines. Inertia is a powerful browsing force :-)
Posted by: John Jenkins | September 3, 2008 10:49 AM
V8 is Java"Script" no? But you are right - most people will click the blue "e" button labeled "Internet"
I think the environment they want to push it writing apps to V8 and not Windows, OS X, Linux...
Posted by: Reid | September 3, 2008 11:14 AM
Yes, it's a javascript engine, not a JVM, but at this point that's probably a feature rather than a bug. The lure of portability is strong.
Posted by: John Jenkins | September 3, 2008 03:11 PM
Oh, I forgot to mention that my Boss's Treo 650 died and Sprint "upgraded" him to a Centro. We'll see how well that works. My iPhone 3G kicks butt, BTW.
Posted by: John Jenkins | September 3, 2008 03:27 PM
I love my Centro - and very open to all the new phones coming down the pipe these days. If iPhone was not on AT&T I would be more interested. Plus, seems like lots of folks are having issues with it...
Posted by: Reid | September 3, 2008 05:51 PM