Google Chrome Browser Review

 

Year: 2008
Supplier: Google UK
OS: Windows Vista
Price: Freeware

After downloading Google Chrome, which only took a few seconds, the install took around three minutes without information on what it was in fact installing. After the install, I had the option to import settings from Firefox 3. The Layout is incredibly ugly and a rip-off of the new Internet Explorer browser. There are only two buttons which act as drop down menus on the top right-hand side on the Chrome browser: a page icon – edit menu and a wrench icon – settings menu. In order to enable bookmarks at all times, you must use the wrench icon and from the drop down menu select “Always show bookmarks bar”. There is no “Home” button available in the Chrome browser. You need to hit CTRL + T (new tab) or enter a new URL in the address bar to navigate away from the current page you are viewing.

The design and layout of the new browser is not user friendly what-so-ever. Fans of Firefox (any version), Safari and Opera will not be amused with this wannabe Internet Explorer programme. One feature that could have been useful was the “most visited” site feature. When you open the browser or open a new tab you are greeted by six blank boxes that will eventually become your “Top Six”. However, what it reminds me of is the Firefox add-on “Speed Dial”. With “Speed Dial” you can programme numbers 1-9 with a specific website for each respective number and hit CTRL + (insert number) to open a website in the same tab or CTRL + Shift + (insert number) to open the other websites in new tabs. Furthermore, it is incredibly easy to open up seven websites in under ten seconds with “Speed Dial”, whereas, the “most visited” feature is rubbish and completely useless in comparison to “Speed Dial”.

The browser never seems to centre properly, especially when you click certain links that take you to a certain part of the page (e.g. middle of the page, lower-bottom, etc.), it just seemed to stay at top. It only seemed that 2/10 it would work properly, but maybe that was due to Chrome’s poor programming and rushing the product out too soon. Spell check is a handy feature, but almost every browser has that and if they do not you can download an add-on or extension, so that it does.

I did not feel safe enough with the Chrome browser’s encryption to buy anything. Even with https encryption, it is only noticeable by looking at the mini lock at the end of the URL browser. I decided to download a file just for the purpose of seeing how their download process works. You must be thinking at this point “Well the Google browser must be efficient with this. They make all those interesting Google Lab programmes, so they must have something interesting planned. Right?” Well I am sorry to tell you that it is worse than the other three previously mentioned browsers. When you download a file, you can only see the download percentage within the same tab. Should you close the tab that you downloaded something from and move on to another tab, then you will have to wait however long it takes for the file to finish without any indication of progress. No, you do not get a slide message or a sound letting you know the download is complete either. The download time was rather slow as well and I found myself waiting to use Firefox 3 or Safari even for such a remedial web browsing task.

When uninstalling Chrome (which never seemed to come soon enough) I saw that the space that Chrome took up was 47 MB and yet Firefox 3 which has several add-ons, plug-ins, and themes is a mere 27 MB. It makes me wonder what exactly did I install on my computer? Once, I double clicked the Google Chrome icon it said “Are you sure you want to uninstall Google Chrome? (Was it something we said?)” and I retort with “No, it was your poor programming, sad imitation of Internet Explorer and sorry excuse for a browser that you just slapped your name on and expected to be great just because you are Google.”

Finally, after the uninstall process, which was only a few seconds, I was brought to the Google Chrome help page via Internet Explorer. I closed the Internet Explorer browser and I realised that I lost 30 minutes of my life, which I will never get back, however, I do get extra credit for this review in my CNIT class.
1/5

Design:
The design was incredibly poor and a blatant rip-off of Internet Explorer. There is no way to add themes the way Firefox does, nor does it give web pages a very smooth layout the way that Safari does.
1/5

User Friendliness:
The simplistic design does not help users at all. If anything, it will make users who are already ill-at-ease with computers feel even more unwelcome.
1/5

Review Round-Up:
Programme: 1
Design: 1
User Friendliness: 1

Overall: 1/5

Final Thoughts:

The Good:

While the browser, did seem to be slightly safer than Internet Explorer due to the fact that it does not have “Active X” which is now exploited to install many viruses, adware and/or malware. Google did try to “spice up” the general look of Internet Explorer with a different tabbed browsing look, but it is only cosmetic. Finally, I applaud their attempt with “Top Visited” sites as it is something other browsers do not have, unfortunately browsers like Firefox have better add-ons that offer the easiest convenience.

The Bad:

I am still sceptical of what was installed during the initial install process. Furthermore, when I was asked if I wanted my Firefox settings transferred over I thought they meant just bookmarks not bookmarks, history, saved searches and saved passwords. Giving them all that information made me ill-at-ease because I am not certain what they may do with that information. Of course, they can always take that information from my Google Mail account, but to take all of that information on me at once was a bit off putting. Flash is very slow, no add-ons and "Incognito Mode" is the same as Safari's "Private Browsing" mode. Honestly, when you get right down to it, the browser is a half-step up from Internet Explorer, which is not saying much. I would advise you to stick with Mozilla Firefox 3, Safari or Opera.