“Chrome” is the Google Browser we started expecting ‘could be coming soon’ since 2001. Finally, we have this browser for download on 2nd September 2008. That was a long wait indeed. At present the browser is available only for Windows and words have it that, the team is working on releasing it for Linux and OS X. However, there is no hint how long this is going to take.

The word ‘Chrome’ is meant to be synonymous to clean and uncluttered screen. The browser somewhat achieves this. The first positive impression is that the download and installation completes in seconds. The layout and features are simple but looks complete in itself. Some of the user friendly features of this browser are:

1. It is fast and efficient as each tap is an independent application. If a tap crashes it does not cripple the whole program.
2. Whenever a new tap is opened, the page displays the most visited sites and bookmark pages. A single click takes you directly to the related web page.
3. You can drag and drop taps within the same window (this is not new) or drag them to a different window (this is new).
4. Chrome has only one box where you can either enter the URL of a website or place a search on the web. The one box concept is as good as the two boxes we see in other browsers.
5. Users can open up incognito window so that pages visited are not stored on the web history. Useful for keeping some secrets and to enjoy a pinch of privacy.

Apart from these features, there are sure to be many more positive attributes of this new browser. This is what Pundar Pichai, vice-president of product management at Google said about Chrome

We want to make sure people are forgetting they are using a browser

The layout is neat and the first screenshots are cool. And to add more spicy stuff, we have this comic pages that invokes our admiration. However, right after the launch, there are already write ups about the missing threads. Yes, there are few websites that won’t open in my first experiment and there are sure to be more. Agreed, the browser is still tagged as ‘Beta,’ but surprisingly Gmail is also still in Beta. Does this mean that Google will take a couple of years to perfect this? No one wants it to happen that way.

There are many things to be fixed at present and the success rate of Google in the web browser market depends on how efficient it address the issues. For now, Microsoft Corporation with it’s Internet Explorer is in the lead trailed by Mozilla’s Firefox, Apple’s Safari, and Opera. With the release of Chrome, we will see major innovation and stiff competition in the browser market too. Microsoft and Mozilla are worried, Apple is all set to strike back and Opera is scared of a complete wipe out.