All about Chrome

I'm not sure if you caught the news of Google's new browser that was released on Tuesday [1]. Some have hailed it as the first true "Web 2.0 browser." Reactions are generally mixed across the Internet though, as users grapple with the sudden and unexpected entrance of a new browser.

Indeed, Mozilla Foundation CEO John Lilly was quoted as saying that he views Chrome as a competitor [2]. If anything, this is an indication that even the Mozilla Foundation had no warning prior to the release of Chrome. This is significant, as the Mozilla project has an agreement--recently renewed for anther three years--to use Google as the default search engine. This deal is responsible for generating some 85 percent of Mozilla's revenue.

Whatever the case, I have installed Chrome and was using it for the last few days. One of the charges levied against Chrome's isolated tab model is that it makes the browser a "pig" [3] when it comes to memory consumption. However, I think just about everyone agrees that it can only be a step forward in terms of reliability and security. Personally, I really liked the ability to monitor the memory consumption that each tab--and site--is consuming.

At its current beta stage though, Chrome does not yet support any kind of plug-ins, and its ability to organize bookmarks is nonexistent. However, considering its pre-1.0 status, I can't say I have any major issues with it either. What are your experiences with Chrome so far? - Paul [4]