Speed up browsing with Google Chrome
In one of my latest postings I discuss the recent evolution of website browsers and how using a browser other than Internet Explorer can greatly enhance your internet experience. I primarily work on a Mac, so my testing of the new Google Chrome browser had been limited up until now. With the recent beta release of Chrome for Mac OSX I’ve been able to more thoroughly test the waters. I’d say I’m fairly impressed with its offerings.
According to the January 11, 2010 Time magazine article “Google Builds a Better Bowser,” there are an estimated 40 million active users of Google’s free Chrome browser, ranking it No. 3 in market share behind Internet Explorer and Firefox. To the average internet user this may not mean much, but the significance is greater when you factor in that productivity applications (such as Google Apps and Microsoft Office Online) rely solely on a web browser and speedy internet connection to function. Based on independent browser tests, as the Time article states, Google Chrome boots up and loads web pages faster than Internet Explorer or Firefox.
As a user of Google Apps, any means of speeding up access to files is welcomed. That’s not to say I’ve had issues with speed up until now, but who wouldn’t want more speed if readily available? And, for free?
As far as adaptability in concerned, Firefox still takes the cake when it comes to add-ons and plug-ins. I use Fire FTP for Firefox on a regular basis for my website design business. It will take some time before Google Chrome increases its customization capabilities, but in my opinion I don’t see us waiting long before such add-ons are available…especially given the browser’s strong adoption in such a relatively short time frame.
