Chrome - Google's new browser

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bradavon
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Re: Chrome - Google's new browser

Post by bradavon »

Chrome 4.0 will also support Linux and MAC OS X!

Given how good Google are at innovation, I can definitely see myself switching to Chrome in the future.
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Re: Chrome - Google's new browser

Post by gasteropod »

I've been on version 4.0.223.16 for a while because I have the beta version which always stays ahead of the standard release, this one doesn't have extensions.
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Re: Chrome - Google's new browser

Post by bradavon »

That build's old:

http://www.filehippo.com/download_google_chrome/

4.0.249.11 looks to be the latest. I know you didn't try Extensions in Firefox but if you do in Chrome, you'll see how damn handy they are. Some form of Adblocking is essential.

I used Chrome whilst in India (not all machines had Firefox installed and IE is shit, especially when they only had IE6) and was damn impressed. It's not up there with Firefox (because of Extensions and the amount of general customising you can do) but loved:

1. How insanely fast it is, faster than Firefox.
2. It's low memory footprint.
3. Quick loading time.
4. Clean interface.
5. How quickly you work your way around it. The main reason Opera has never taken off properly, it's older than both Chrome and Firefox by some margin.
6. Searching of Google directly in the address bar. Why isn't this standard on all browsers? You can configure Firefox to do something similar, using "Smart Keywords" but it's not as efficient. It is more powerful, you can configure Firefox to search IMDB, Wikipedia, whatever from the address bar.
because I have the beta version which always stays ahead of the standard release
That's why it's called "beta" ;).
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Re: Chrome - Google's new browser

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I mean it automatically updates itself ;)

One thing that annoys me about Chrome is that for every file you just want to open off the net, it saves it, is it possible to just have it use temporary internet files like IE? For instance whenever I want to check the bus times, you click a link which opens a .pdf document, but Chrome makes me save it before I open it every time.
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bradavon
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Re: Chrome - Google's new browser

Post by bradavon »

gasteropod wrote:I mean it automatically updates itself ;)
Don't all versions?
gasteropod wrote:One thing that annoys me about Chrome is that for every file you just want to open off the net, it saves it, is it possible to just have it use temporary internet files like IE?
Can you not go to the Bus Timetable website using IE? That seems like a simple workaround. It's only one site. I use IE still occasionally, some sites for instance simply work better using ActiveX.

I found that annoying too but I believe it's a security thing. A dumb one, as Saving and "then" Running a file with Malware is frankly just as dangerous but I believe that's the logic.

In Firefox certain file types (such as EXE) can only be Saved, whilst others you can Open or Save (including PDF). I'm not a fan of Chrome's Tab window for showing what's downloading. It's so over the top. The small Firefox window, just showing what's downloading is better. Hopefully an extension will come to alter Chrome. There's a Firefox extension to open all file types to have both Open/Save but I don't bother using it. EXEs I almost always want to save first.

BTW why did you dislike Firefox? You don't have to bother with Extensions.

p.s - Safari works in the same way as IE btw, Run or Save. I think for all file types.
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Re: Chrome - Google's new browser

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I had various niggles with Firefox that I can't really recall.
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bradavon
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Re: Chrome - Google's new browser

Post by bradavon »

Fair enough.

"Out of the box" I'd say Chrome beats Firefox. Except where a website requires a plugin and Firefox is more likely to be supported.

Any idea if Bookmark Sync (new with v4.0 I believe) syncs bookmarks across Chrome installations (e.g - laptop and desktop) or does it sync from Chrome to just Gmail? The Xmarks extension in Firefox is incredibly useful, so it's good to see this part of the standard Chrome installation (like Opera).
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Re: Chrome - Google's new browser

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I've been using Chrome 4 and Opera 10 recently. Both are damn impressive.

Chrome now has Bookmark Sync and Extensions. Bookmark Sync allows you to easily sync bookmarks across PCs but unlike Xmarks there is only one profile, which for me means Xmarks is better (I have slightly different work related bookmarks at work). Extensions aren't as comprehensive as Firefox's but it's progressing, there's an Adblocker (if you change nothing else, install the Chrome Adblocker extension). Which should be standard in all web browsers! Firefox really need Bookmark Sync built-in.

Opera 10 has loads of cool features (including Bookmark Sync) but also some dumb features like Opera Unite (that allows you to stream your content to friends, how is this relevant in a web browser?). It also has Mail, Chat and Notes features (in a web browser?). It's "Opera Turbo" function is such a fantastic idea, on slow connections it compresses pictures (in real time), so they download quickly. You can leave it on all the time too, to speed up page (but pictures look a bit pants, being heavily compressed).

IMO, now in order:

Techies:

* Firefox - For it's sheer ability to tweak, configure and extension support.

Newbies and those who just want an efficient/lightweight/fast browser:

* Chrome 4 - Out of the box, I'd struggle to say which is better, Opera 10 or Chrome 4 (both seem as fast as each other) but Extensions means Chrome wins. In particular the Adblocker (Opera's has no ability to auto-update, you have to manually download an INI file or block as you find the ads).

For what it's worth, I'd say Opera 10 beats Chrome 3.

Overall - For me!:

1. Firefox 3.6
2. Chrome 4
3. Opera 10

And much lower down:

4. Safari 4 - It's not a patch on the above three but it still beats IE, only because it's faster though. Like IE it's lacking in many features (the graphical live thumbnail of bookmarks and history is neat though). It also looks and feels very much like Apple software, so takes some getting used to. No Adblocker!
5. Internet Explorer 8 - Frankly way down the list. Utter crapness! The Accelerators are useful though. All the above are significantly faster. No Adblocker!

Opera Mobile is easily the best Mobile Web Browser though (currently on Windows Mobile but Android soon), even beating the iPhone's Safari Mobile. It has a really neat feature, whereby it cleverly caches websites on their servers, so they load much quicker.
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Re: Chrome - Google's new browser

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Chrome 4.1 has been released (if you use Chrome you'll probably already have it, with it's auto-update feature) and now has Auto-translate. Go to a website, not in your default language and Chrome will offer to translate it. It works really well.
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Re: Chrome - Google's new browser

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Has anyone spotted an annoying bug in Chrome 3.0, 4.0 and probably 4.1. Try this:

1. Have Chrome running
2. Close Chrome
3. Open it again, as soon as it disappears

You will find all your Extensions are gone and all settings are back to defaults. Bookmarks and History are retained. If you do the above but open Task Manager and wait for all Chrome.exe processes to disappear before re-opening it, the problem doesn't appear.

It doesn't matter how many tabs you have open or what websites you're on. You can even have just opened Chrome from fresh, so it's purely just loaded the "New Tab Page". Thankfully there are very few Chrome settings I change from defaults but extensions being wiped is most annoying.

You may ask, why would you do this? If it crashes for example and you need to End Task Chrome or you close it accidentally, I want to be back in Chrome asap. I've seen this on 2 (maybe 3) PCs now. All are running Windows XP SP3 x86 btw (one of them is still on SP2). I've not installed it on my own PC. I use Firefox.

Otherwise I continue to be impressed with Chrome, it's coming along nicely.
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bradavon
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Re: Chrome - Google's new browser

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Can someone try please. If you're worried about losing your settings, look here:

http://www.google.com/support/chrome/bi ... wer=165189

I suggest copying the folder (i.e - copy/paste in the same folder so it makes a "copy of google") and then trying. If you lose settings, delete the "google" folder and rename the "copy of google" back to "google".

Basically it's in:

2000/XP: C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Local Settings\Application Data\Google
Vista/W7: C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Google

Thanks
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Re: Chrome - Google's new browser

Post by gasteropod »

What's the point? Just don't open the browser straight away again lol
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Re: Chrome - Google's new browser

Post by bradavon »

A: Regardless, it's still possibly a bug.
B: It shouldn't happen.
C: I posted reasons why on the previous page.
D: Chrome is installed on my Mum's PC, she's not one to reopen apps quickly, yet the problem has happened for her a few times still.
E: Now the main real-world reason: What if Chrome crashes and doesn't close properly (stuck in the background)? We all know this happens with all Apps from time to time. You won't know it's running, you open Chrome and the problem occurs.

Basically if you open Chrome, whilst it's still running in the background the problem occurs.

That's why!
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bradavon
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Re: Chrome - Google's new browser

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Anyone?
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Re: Chrome - Google's new browser

Post by bradavon »

I've been trying this at work and cannot get it to fail.

The process does close incredibly quickly on my work PC (it's a very clean PC), so it could be I physically cannot open it quicker than it can close but I've tried a few times (by using a shortcut key and Task Manager open) and reckon I'm opening it, whilst it's still running.

I'm now wondering if Kaspersky Internet Security is at fault (installed on all PCs I look after). I'll try disabling it and see if the problem still occurs. It automatically sets whether an App is Trusted, Limited or Fully Restricted. It rarely gets this wrong but it may need adjusting slightly.
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Re: Chrome - Google's new browser

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Google are integrating Flash into Chrome! Yes! (i.e. will work much more smoothly)
http://www.trustedreviews.com/software/ ... rome-OS/p1
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Re: Chrome - Google's new browser

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Another great idea from Google. So many of the features in Chrome, you just think "why haven't we had this since day one?".

Whereas Mozilla have added stacks more features overall and many are potentially more useful, but tend to be technical to use (e.g - Smart Tags and Smart Keywords). Opera on the other hand, many left my head scratching, asking "why would I want that?" (i.e - Opera's dumb Opera Unite social media streaming).

Why is Google able to make Chrome Auto-update completely silently, yet Microsoft and Mozilla cannot? Still you could argue it's tricky to stop Chrome updating itself.
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Re: Chrome - Google's new browser

Post by gasteropod »

I don't really see why someone wouldn't want their browser to always be up to date though.
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Re: Chrome - Google's new browser

Post by Yi-Long »

gasteropod wrote:I don't really see why someone wouldn't want their browser to always be up to date though.

Occasionally, changes aren't for the best. One update for Avant ones included that there would be an automatic 'close' function on the tabs, so if you wanted to change tabs, and you clicked on the right of the tab, there would be a lil red cross which would close the whole tab(!). Obviously, they changed that back to normal with a later update, but it was annoying while it lasted.
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bradavon
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Re: Chrome - Google's new browser

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gasteropod wrote:I don't really see why someone wouldn't want their browser to always be up to date though.
As a general rule I agree but how about an extreme example:

http://www.techradar.com/news/computing ... bit-679013

I appreciate that's not a browser though. It's not also the best example as I have my Anti-Malware set to Automatic :D, not Windows Update though, which I've got just to tell me. Another example would be, business. Thousands of business intranet pages are written with a specific browser in mind. It's why IE6 is "still" the number one (it maybe number two now) business browser.
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Re: Chrome - Google's new browser

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bradavon wrote:Has anyone spotted an annoying bug in Chrome 3.0, 4.0 and probably 4.1. Try this:

1. Have Chrome running
2. Close Chrome
3. Open it again, as soon as it disappears
Oddly this seems to have fixed itself. I cannot get it to fail on my Dad's PC (it may never have been a problem) or my Mum's (where it definitely was). I see Google have rolled out a new Chrome 4.1 version (a revision of the existing 4.1) so they may have fixed the bug.

This is more likely than a Kaspersky update fixing the problem. Regardless I couldn't get it to crash. I set a shortcut key to the Chrome shortcut, opened Chrome, immediately closed it and constantly did this for 5-6 times. Not once did the toolbar, settings or extensions revert to defaults. Yay!

EDIT: It looks like I'm not the only one whose seen this bug:

http://news.cnet.com/8618-30685_3-20000 ... Id=9230935
Last edited by bradavon on 06 Apr 2010, 12:20, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Chrome - Google's new browser

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Here's a useful blog to track Chrome releases and what they change/fix/add:

http://googlechromereleases.blogspot.com/

Bear in mind there are two Chrome releases:

* Development/Beta - Currently at 5.0.366.2 (Windows/Linux) and 5.0.366.0 (Mac)
* Stable - Currently at 4.1.249.1045

Both are freely available.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What's in Chrome 5:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-30685_3-20000784-264.html

This all looks like useful stuff. I hope PDF plug-in support can be turned off. I've never understand why you'd want to read a PDF from within a browser. It's great to see Windows 7 Live Thumbnail Tab support. I wish Mozilla would hurry up and add this to Firefox!
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Re: Chrome - Google's new browser

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Google Earth is now integrated into Google Maps, you just have to download the plugin (it prompts you to). Pretty cool, especially with the 3D stuff.
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Re: Chrome - Google's new browser

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Chrome is going to predict your next move ;)

http://www.trustedreviews.com/software/ ... -Clicks/p1
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Re: Chrome - Google's new browser

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That's interesting about Chrome 6. Oddly that's the open source Chromium logo.

I've never got the popularity of Google Earth/Bing Earth (Bing came first). It's strikes me as a fun but having little real world use.

I use Bing Maps (and Google Maps for a quick look) for seeing how far away places are from post code or seeing how to get somewhere but have little use to see what a city the other side of the world looks like. Bing Maps is the only aspect of Bing I do use though.
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