12 Reasons Why Chrome, Google’s First Web Browser, Rocks

There are, of course, things that Google has left out, like bookmark management. Also, it’s available only for Windows (so far). And to those used to the status bar below the page that tells you how much of the page has been loaded, you’ll miss that in Chrome (although there’s a sort of status bar, it disappears as soon as you’re done loading the page).

The tabs take some getting used to because, unlike the others (Firefox, Safari, IE), the tabs in Chrome are at the top of the page, which can be confusing for people used to the usual way tabs are displayed. But perhaps the tabs ought to be at the top of the page.

You also cannot install Google’s toolbar on Chrome. I find that strange. I actually can’t believe that Google launched Chrome without first making sure that Google add-ons like the Google Toolbar can be installed. (If you try to install the toolbar on Chrome, Google will tell you that the toolbar requires Firefox 2 or later. What the…!)

Google Chrome can only be installed online. You download the setup file (which is very light, by the way) and once you double-click it, Google will take care of the rest. Many see this as a downside but perhaps the great majority of ordinary users won’t, and will probably appreciate the painless way Chrome installs in your computer.

All in all, Chrome is a very promising browser. A key to its success, I think, are the plugins and add-ons that would extend its functionality. (Chrome was released only today so there aren’t any plugins or add-ons yet. If you want to know more, check out its comic-book presentation on the browser.)

Google Chrome should give Firefox and IE a run for their money. (CC Hidalgo/pinoypress.net)

(This post has been updated and will be updated every now and then, as the author explores Chrome.)