Does the world need another web browser?  Google thinks so, and today, their new browser product, Google Chrome, was released.  A free download, Chrome offers something different to web users.  But is it just another browser, or does it really offer something new?

Chrome’s interface is clean.  There is no traditional Windows title bar.  Instead, it is a clean blue bar with tabs.  Buttons are reduced to a minimum, and there are no quick links (like you have in Firefox), unless you import them.  While Firefox offers some similar tab options, Chrome’s tabs are easy to drag in the tab bar to rearrange them, or you can drag them completely out of the window so that you can put the tab in its own window.  It works nicely…more on “nicely” below!

The one major improvement that I’ve seen:  speed.  Chrome feels fast!  Chrome’s Javascript engine was substantially rewritten to make it (yes) an order of magnitude faster.  Does it feel like it?  I’ve tried it on a couple of vBulletin forums this evening, as well as on the admin side of Wordpress, and there is little to no lag in response of page elements.  Gmail snaps instantly when a link is clicked, vs. a very slight lag in Firefox.  You would think that your browser is acting more like an application installed on your computer.  

My big test this evening was Google Maps.  Redirecting a route (when asking for directions) made the route marker snap into place very quickly, and the Street View images loaded instantly.  Google Maps is very resource-intensive, and Chrome didn’t even blink.

I’ll have more on Chrome in the near future.  But I had to get the news out today that this first impression of Chrome can be summed up in one word: “incredible.”  I thought Opera was fast, but this takes browsing to a whole new level.  I’m impressed!