Google Chrome Review: first impressions not good
Filed under: Computers, Software | By: Peter Chubb
Posted on: September 2, 2008 | 77 Comments
Well I have been waiting since yesterday to get my hands on Google Chrome, the search engine giant’s open source web browser. So I downloaded it from Google and then installed the software, and then decided to give Chrome a go. My first impressions are not that good.
So I then opened Google Chrome up and had a little play, and that was when I noticed the first of my problems. Firstly I could not find a button or logo to go back to my homepage, on further investigation it seems that you need to have your toolbar on for the Homepage button to appear.
Then there is the problem with my bookmarks which I imported from Firefox, for some reason I could not get them to show up. No matter what I tried I just could not find my bookmarks.
So what are your first impressions of Google Chrome?
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Hi - Great Blog!
We didn’t experience a bookmark problem, but had a number of others. Please see our experience at:
http://www.onefamilysblog.com/2008/09/google-chrome-web-browser-beta-1-user.html
First, I was surprised it didn’t let me choose which drive it installed on. I would have thought that to be pretty basic even for a beta release.
Second, I can’t imagine running a browser anymore that doesn’t let me have a Bookmarks sidebar. I didn’t use FF 3.0 AT ALL until the sidebar plugin was updated. This is a killer concern for me in testing the Google beta until they fix it. In a similar vein, I was surprised they didn’t integrate a bookmark solution with the existing Google Bookmarks. It would have been the ultimate trump card on the competition (social vs favorites); web based bookmarks on the sidebar without all the frustration of importing and exporting and otherwise synchronizing them..
Some of you guys really seem to have no interest or clue at all about testing a new Application. Show a little bit of initiative and don’t expect everything to be handed to you on a platter.
It took me about 10 seconds to find where the bookmarks are kept and how to setup my bookmark bar and to figure out keyboard shortcuts for various functions.
The browser works great so far. Fast, Basic and no problems with flash or java that I have noticed. It is true however that some websites report that I am using an unsupported browser and won’t run, but it will only be a matter of time before it’s fixed. Can’t wait for the final release.
Ehh, im not impressed. Im a heavy firefox user and I really dont like Chrome at all. Really, Opera is a much better browser, it is basically the same thing but with better features. Im not impressed, ill keep it installed in the fluke of them coming out with a great update, but by the looks of it, im not going to stop using firefox
I am not at all impressed with Google Chrome. Just a hype as usual. Only one thing that google has done right is the search engine….
There is nothing so special in Chrome as compared to IE 8. If you guys have not used IE8. Try it…. you will be amazed.
These latest posts prove my point… “Why buy a Honda Civic when you have an Escalade in the garage?”
Chrome being the Civic, saving you gas, having a higher top speed, but maybe not as many bells and whistles… IE 8 being the Escalade, over-done, slow, big, and a gas-guzzler, and all kinds of features no one in the world knows how to use.
Bottom line, IE 8 sucks, IE sucks, Mozilla has written the rules on how to make a web-browser. Google is about the re-write the rules. What I say, give google the time to release the actual product, and then we can talk again.
The first time when i opened chrome, it looked bad, GUI is not what i expected to be… it looked like i was not working in an windows machine. Apart from this, i had problems with accessing applications in facebook. Google needs to improve lot on CHROME. Anyway, I am very much happy with FF…
It’s amazingly fast!
People who are saying it doesn’t have Home button and some common book mark features are plain ignorant.
Those things can easily be added and you don’t judge a beta product with these things. If I judge windows xp based on it’s crash resistance, Windows 95 is far superior than any systems Microsoft ever produced. Similarly MS-DOG would be much much better.
Pages load extremely fast which I guess IE can never ever compete with for a years or so. They couldnt compete with google search for years. They don’t make speedy products, they just make painting type look good products with worst speed. Rendering engine in chrome is damn good.
Speed apart, other features definitely Google will add in the next version, I am guessing IE is definitely history.
For those who are testing….don’t look by comparing buttons one by one.
Mommy i see this button in IE and there is no such button in chrome. If you are that kind of user, you are brain damaged Microsoft type user. Leave chrome alone. it’s not to be admired by ppl like u.
After some testing, the Chrome and Flash are not going good together at all. Besides the memory problem causing every opened tab without limitation!!, more than one flash application on the web sites create amazingly slow job of the Chrome. Additionally, did somebody else mentioned the extensive use of the HDD by Chrome. I have never seen before such an application!!!
There no any features, which makes Chrome different or browsing friendly. Found some security gaps. Probably orientated to work with on line/offline applications, the required functions should be provided by the application self . It is a direction of development, which we could describe as Micrsofitzation of Google in the web space.
As usual, Google copies all from application developed before them and try to brand name them under its own name. It is quite amazing that Google applications are totaly user unfriendly and need years to improve. Probably the company need really some people near persons to think. As far as Chrome is concerned, it is nothing new and better for now, but after 6 years , probably will be able to compete with IE and I have the feeling that soon we will have the
Google OS. My biggest concern is that this company as Chrome shows does not bring additional value in terms of functions to its customers, who are involved in endless improvment of google’s products, where every product exist for itself without any pre-tought integration. On time reaction will not feet with customer wishes in long term.
I believe they are on the right path, the home button, i think almost everyone in this world has google as home page, therefor, i dont think its necesary to go to google, when the browser bar is actually a google search. Still, i have found some technical difficulties, Youtube doesnt run properlly, and some videos have problems too. The new tab configuration is just awesome, and if like me you are used to the ctrl+t to open a new tab you must have been pleasantly surprised to find out that it still works, but better than that you have a little preview of the pages you visit the most so you just have to click and the page will pop up in no time. I created myself a webpage with errors to force a shutdown of chrome, i wasnt able to do it only one tab stopped working, you just click shift+esc and kill that app, im looking forward to a newer version with the video issues fixed, and ofc a linux and mac version!!