The Entire Google Chrome Browser Blog Announcement
by Kara Swisher
Posted on September 1, 2008 at 2:15 PM PT
As was reported earlier this morning by BoomTown, Google has confirmed on its blog that it will launch its new Chrome browser tomorrow.
Google (GOOG) said it would be launching Chrome in 100 countries, but it will only be in beta in Windows (Google said Mac and Linux versions were coming soon).
The move by the search giant, although the blog does not say so, is clearly a direct shot over the bow of Microsoft (MSFT), which dominates the browser market with 74 percent share.
Here is the blog post in full:
A fresh take on the browser
9/01/2008 02:10:00 PM
At Google, we have a saying: “launch early and iterate.” While this approach is usually limited to our engineers, it apparently applies to our mailroom as well! As you may have read in the blogosphere, we hit “send” a bit early on a comic book introducing our new open source browser, Google Chrome. We will be launching the beta version of Google Chrome tomorrow in more than 100 countries.
So why are we launching Google Chrome? Because we believe we can add value for users and, at the same time, help drive innovation on the Web.
All of us at Google spend much of our time working inside a browser. We search, chat, email and collaborate in a browser. And in our spare time, we shop, bank, read news and keep in touch with friends–all using a browser. Because we spend so much time online, we began seriously thinking about what kind of browser could exist if we started from scratch and built on the best elements out there. We realized that the Web had evolved from mainly simple text pages to rich, interactive applications and that we needed to completely rethink the browser. What we really needed was not just a browser, but also a modern platform for Web pages and applications, and that’s what we set out to build.
On the surface, we designed a browser window that is streamlined and simple. To most people, it isn’t the browser that matters. It’s only a tool to run the important stuff–the pages, sites and applications that make up the Web. Like the classic Google homepage, Google Chrome is clean and fast. It gets out of your way and gets you where you want to go.
Under the hood, we were able to build the foundation of a browser that runs today’s complex Web applications much better. By keeping each tab in an isolated “sandbox,” we were able to prevent one tab from crashing another and provide improved protection from rogue sites. We improved speed and responsiveness across the board. We also built a more powerful JavaScript engine, V8, to power the next generation of Web applications that aren’t even possible in today’s browsers.
This is just the beginning–Google Chrome is far from done. We’re releasing this beta for Windows to start the broader discussion and hear from you as quickly as possible. We’re hard at work building versions for Mac and Linux too, and will continue to make it even faster and more robust.
We owe a great debt to many open source projects, and we’re committed to continuing on their path. We’ve used components from Apple’s WebKit and Mozilla’s Firefox, among others–and in that spirit, we are making all of our code open source as well. We hope to collaborate with the entire community to help drive the Web forward.
The Web gets better with more options and innovation. Google Chrome is another option, and we hope it contributes to making the Web even better.
So check in again tomorrow to try Google Chrome for yourself. We’ll post an update here as soon as it’s ready.
Posted by Sundar Pichai, VP Product Management, and Linus Upson, Engineering Director
Also, here is the entire comic book Google is using to explain the technical aspects of Chrome, and here is Digital Daily’s John Paczkowski with a CliffNotes version of the comic (believe me, you’ll need it).
Please see this disclosure related to me and Google.
Comments
Ironic that if I really want to try the Google stuff first I have to get Windows. I understand the economics of it “sorta” but it still leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
It is after all one of the favorite excuses of those who cling to Windows: “That’s where all the applications are!”
Posted by Mac Beach at September 1st, 2008 at 5:32 pmI got following error while installing BETA
“Installation failed. Ensure that your computer is connected to Internet and that your firewall allows GoogleUpdate.exe to connect and then TRY AGAIN. Error Code : 0×80073EE7.”
Unfortunately, I can not attach screen here to show you that my computer was in good shape to connect to IN.
I apologize to post comments on using this chrome.
Posted by Sachin Nakade at September 3rd, 2008 at 12:07 amI’ve been reading hyperbole-laden claims about Google Chrome this morning, including what Google had to say about it. Chrome will be a better browser, no doubt, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. It’s definitely not a challenge to Microsoft’s operating system business, nor is it the second coming of Jesus Christ.
1. While Chrome has lots of operating-system-like features, it doesn’t support a native API of it’s own. Moreover, since it’s designed to run web applications better rather than allow developers to build new kinds of web applications, it doesn’t appear possible for a developer to design an application that exploits some native feature of Chrome that will cause everyone to decide that they have to become Chrome users. The fact that there’s no application “pull-through” effect eliminates a compelling reason that users might have for switching from their current browser.
Posted by Rich Wong at September 8th, 2008 at 7:15 am2. A major function of an operating system is to abstract and manage hardware for the developer. One of the many reasons Microsoft Windows is so successful is the sheer breadth of hardware it supports. Chrome doesn’t know anything about the underlying hardware. Period. In fact, it relies on Windows to know about the hardware. You still need an operating system to run Chrome.
3. Distribution. Oh yeah, Microsoft has that one locked up with their PC OEM channel. Google, if they were really planning to compete for the OS, would actually have to build an OS in order to satisfy the demands of these customers.
There are two actual threats to Microsoft that most commentators are overlooking.
1. Google Gears, the offline browsing platform that Google has been hitherto unsuccessful at pushing into the market. I’m sure the rationale at the GooglePlex goes something like this: “If we Bundle Gears with a nice end user application like Chrome, the we’ll get onto lots of desktops and that will advantage our applications business.” Bingo!
2. Android. Windows Mobile’s browsing experience sucks. Both Chrome and the Android browser are webkit based. Google could deliver a compelling and unified browsing experience on mobile and the web with Chrome. If Google can pull an iPhone with Android, based around a superior browsing experience, it could be the final nail in the Windows Mobile coffin.
Make no mistake. I’ll try and probably use Chrome myself, if for no other reason than they appear to be fixing a whack of problems that I experience with browsers every day. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves predicting the end of Microsoft’s OS business. A young man named Andreessen did that at another time – the mid 1990’s – and with another browser – Netscape. Look what happened there.
There’s more to an operating system than a browser.
Posted by Rich Wong at September 8th, 2008 at 7:17 ami made this website, to check which browser is best to use.
http://www.browserchange.com
Posted by lorenzo wiskerke at October 5th, 2008 at 3:34 am