I am a huge fan of Google Chrome ever since its first beta release and was eagerly awaiting for the new versions. Google released the 2.0 of Chrome recently, and here are my first impressions.
Chrome is a browser whose only claim to fame besides being a “Google” product, is its speed and simplicity. This also meant that in its initial release, it would lack some basic browser features such as form auto-fill, a full-screen mode, and extensions. With Chrome 2.0, Google has closed the gap a little bit, adding a full-screen mode, form auto-fill, and the ability to remove thumbnails from the “New Tab” page, along with a whole host of bug fixes and overall performance improvements.
Chrome 2.0 looks and acts exactly like the previous version. The new features are so subtle that without Google’s announcement, it’s likely they would have gone unnoticed by many of its users. Full-screen mode is easy to find. Just press F11 to invoke it, or select it from the wrench icon menu in the toolbar.
But the point of this feature is lost for me. When in full-screen mode, all of the browser controls disappear such as the tabs and toolbar. This means, that you can’t enter new addresses to visit. You can’t access your bookmarks, except from the Chrome start page. Everything must be done via keyboard shortcuts or the anemic right-click menu. Personally, I think this feature is pointless.
The other new features aren’t to die for. Form auto-fill is a feature that other browsers have had for years. As you fill out a form field, Chrome will display possible choices below the field, and you can click to select one. The ability to delete thumbnails from the “New Tab” page is useful at times. Click Remove Thumbnails, click the thumbnails you want to remove, and click Done. Also, if you have fewer than four thumbnails and you delete one, it will remove all of your thumbnails!
Where Chrome 2.0 shines is in its performance. It zips through the most complex Web applications with ease, and never seems to slow down. The browser is lightning fast, but then so was version 1.0, and while Google asserts that 2.0 is even faster and more stable, no one is going to notice the small increments in speed and stability. But of course, for a new person who is about to experience Chrome this will be quite an experience!
Chrome is by far the Ferrari of Web browsers. It’s built to be the fastest browser out there, and it does so by putting powerful technology under the hood. I believe Chrome 2.0 maintains that reputation. It isn’t going to win any functionality awards or come out on top in feature comparisons, and the new stuff doesn’t make you go “wow.” But it will still get you to your favorite sites faster than anything else, and for existing Chrome users it’s worth downloading. However for a newbie of Chrome, you might find it extremely lacking feature-wise.
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