Google Chrome - Some interesting links and information

Its been a long time since I have blogged. Was heavily loaded with work. I think my only link to the web is through my Nokia E61, which I use extensively to browse my favorite sites.

As soon as I saw the news about Chrome - Google's new web browser, I was so exited. I could think of qualities like light-weight, fast, simple, elegant, etc. associated with most of Google's other Apps.

I am finally using Chrome in my laptop.. right now.. as I write :)

But I was also confused on why Google would want to create its own browser when it could have collaborated with one of the famous open source browsers avaiable today - Firefox. But I guess Google must be having some mega plans and a good reason to come up with its own browser. Especially, given the fact that most of the Google's applications are web-based.

My take is, what would differentiate Google Chrome from the rest of the pack is innovative ways of bringing web pages and web applications to the user, through their browser.

For those of you who haven't been tracking news, Google announced Chrome through a comic book released to Google Blogoscoped which a famous blog tracking Google's activities. A much faster loading copy of this comic is available here.

You may want to read Google's official announcement here. Below is also the official video introducing the browser.

Read Write Web's post says that Google Chrome has already got a browser market share of 1%, referring to the stats being tracked by Market Share.

My experience with the browser seems to be OK. I did find some problems like it inability to support Microsoft's silverlight plugin (similar to Flash plugin). I also noticed that you can only scroll down using the laptop's touch pad. You cannot scroll up.

I am sure Google is going to fix these minor issues very soon. What remains to be seen is how Google to going to compete with heavy weights IE and Firefox in the coming months.

UPDATE (Sept 7th, 2008): You can also view the comic book now hosted in google's website.

I also found this video useful.