Chrome, the browser that changed the Web

The Google's Chrome browser, according to its creators, is not intended to take market share, but to change the offer so people can have tools to use the current Web 2.0 made of online applications rather than simple text documents.

Why is Chrome different? Chrome is even more than a browser, it is a strategy. Take an example. New computers equipped with Asus motherboard have the Express Gate feature, it is a smaller version of Linux that starts at the computer boot and displays instantanously a browser. One can thus read its mails immediately, without waiting for the loading of Vista or Linux. For many users, the browser is all they expect from a computer. It is easy to conceive that future lighweight netbooks will include only a browser as Chrome to run the most common Web applications with just the ability to store files .

Versions of the Chrome browser

The versions by number and their features:

  1. December 12, 2008. First finale version for Windows.

  2. Support for Canvas.

  3. Changing the theme.

  4. Synchronization and Native Client.

  5. Chrome becomes an HTML 5 browser.

  6. http:// protocol is now a default and is removed from the address bar while kept in copy/paste, a great idea!

  7. WebGL is supported, WebP, WebM, material acceleration. New option panel for cookies. Web applications can access the local file system.

  8. The PDF Viewer displays PDF documents with no plugin and inside a sandbox.
    Type about:flags in the URL bar to enable some new functions.

  9. Google drops the H.264 codec for the video tag in favor of the sole VP8 codec. Explanations. WebGL is enabled by default, see the astonishing demos. Cloud print in option for Web apps, without drivers. Creating desktop shortcuts for web apps.

  10. March 2011. The incremental compiler Crankshaft further accelerates JavaScript. GPU acceleration for video. The options are now in a tab (as in Advanced Explorer from 1998). Sandobxed Flash. GPU accelerated videos. Apps in the background allowing notifications of received messages.

  11. HTML5 Speech Input API included.

  12. Ability to delete Flash cookies. Replacing Gears by HTML 5 offline functions. 3D CSS. More secure against phishing. Launching apps by name from the URL bar.

  13. July 2011. Instant Pages displays results of the search engine from query in the URL/search bar. PDF preview before printing.

  14. September 2011. Native Client built-in. Web audio API. See demos.

  15. October 2011. Extension manager included into the option panel.

  16. December 2011. Multiple users supported with different profiles but without passwords.

Comparing speeds

Each new version increases performances:

Actually as shows the chart on the Chrome blog, the version number is as a speed multiplier until 4!

In November 2010, an optimizer for the V8 compiler named Crankshaft increases again the speed of 50% and makes V8 the fastest JavaScript compiler on the market.

Using Chrome

Customization

Tools and technologies related to Chrome

More informations