Google launches internet browser



Google is launching an open source web browser to compete with Internet Explorer and Firefox. The browser is designed to be lightweight and fast, and to cope with the next generation of web applications that rely on graphics and multimedia. Called Chrome, it will launch as a beta for Windows machines in 100 countries, with Mac and Linux versions to come. Google Chrome is an open source web browser developed by Google using the WebKit rendering engine. The beta release date is scheduled for September 2, 2008. (later today?)

"We realised... we needed to completely rethink the browser," said Google's Sundar Pichai in a blog post.

The new browser will help Google take advantage of developments it is pushing online in rich web applications that are challenging traditional desktop programs. Google has a suite of web apps, such as Documents, Picasa and Maps which offer functionality that is beginning to replace offline software.

"What we really needed was not just a browser, but also a modern platform for web pages and applications, and that's what we set out to build," Mr Pichai, VP Product Management, wrote. The launch of a beta version of Chrome on Tuesday will be Google's latest assault on Microsoft's dominance of the PC business. The firm's Internet Explorer program dominates the browser landscape, with 80% of the market.

Design

Tabs

While all of the major tabbed web browsers (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera) have been designed with the window as the primary container, Chrome will put tabs first. The most immediate way this will show is in the user interface, tabs will be at the top of the window, instead of below the controls, as in the other major tabbed browsers. In Chrome, each tab will be an individual process, and each will have its own browser controls and address bar (dubbed omnibox), a design that adds stability to the browser. If one tab fails only one process dies, the browser can still be used as normal with the exception of the dead tab. To complement this Chrome will also feature a process manager which will allow the user to see how much memory and CPU each tab is using, as well as kill unresponsive tabs.

Features

Chrome has added some commonly used plugin-specific features of other browsers into the default package, such as an Incognito tab mode, where no logs of the user activity are stored, and all cookies from the session are discarded. As a part of Chrome's V8 JavaScript virtual machine pop-up Javascript windows will not be shown by default, and will instead appear as a small bar at the bottom of the interface, until the user wishes to display or hide the window. Chrome will include support for web applications running alongside other local applications on the computer. Tabs can be put in a web-app mode, where the omnibar and controls will be hidden with the goal of allowing the user to use the web-app without the browser "in the way".

Security

Every tab in Chrome is sandboxed, so that a tab can display contents of a web page and accept user input, but it will not be able to read user's desktops or personal files. Google say they have "taken the existing process boundary- and made it into a jail". There is an exception to this rule; browser plugins such as flash player do not run within the boundarys of the tab jail, and so users will still be vulnerable to cross-browser exploits based on plugins. Google has also developed a new phishing blacklist, which will be built into Chrome, as well as available via a seperate public API.


Source

BBC NEWS | dot.life | A blog about technology from BBC News | Google's Chrome and the browser end game

Official Google Blog: A fresh take on the browser

Google Chrome

it was only a matter of time before this was going to happen.

just read the comic
Google Chrome

looks interesting.

Sagar

http://rapidshare.com/files/93871964/in_da_club_vs_do_4_luv.mp3

http://rapidshare.com/files/98070920/-1_-_Still_DRE__John_Mix_.mp3

Sounds a good alternative option when it becomes available as a stable download, there seems to be a few good ideas / options availabe but I especially like this one.

"We realised... we needed to completely rethink the browser," said Google's Sundar Pichai in a blog post.

I don't know if I'd get it. This guy can't even spell " realized".

Instead or rethinking the browser, they should rethink this guy's contract...

OOPPPS, I just realized that it must have been the news guy that blew this one. Sorry Sundar...

bigfrank there is nothing wrong with his spelling
realise and realize are both ok.
You may know already by now certain words are spelt differently in different parts of the world. Example: color and colour


Sagar

http://rapidshare.com/files/93871964/in_da_club_vs_do_4_luv.mp3

http://rapidshare.com/files/98070920/-1_-_Still_DRE__John_Mix_.mp3

hmm, I don't know about this. I am unsure of such a browser, tabbed browsing, OMG, really? I see no mention of safari here, faster and more stable than firefox and IE, and the only/first browser to fully pass the acid 2 test. This whole tabbed thing with chrome about sandboxing and having individual buttons is useless. tabs at the top - wow.

lol, the tabs at the top thing and having full controls on each tab... and each tab running as a separate process all made me think - "well isn't that just separate windows that happen to be docked together?"

I had that, after a fashion, with IE6,5 & 4 didn't I?

But it'll prolly be a good browser, I think bashing it before I've even seen it is jumping the gun a little

sounds good

I will just weigh up the pro's and con's at the time and decide whether or not to give it a try, not really too much hassle to change back to ff if I don't like it - I reckon that it will be pretty much the same as others with some things a bit better but other things not quite so good.

A mix of what's best between the existing browsers would be good, maybe with a little extra but I may just be greedy and wanting too much...lol

wasn't there a story a little while ago about how google tracks all sites you visit through their search engine?? and they keep records of it?

Now wouldn't that be nice. :yay2[1]::yay2[1]::yay2[1]::yay2[1]::yay2[1]::yay2[1]: a proper browser!!!

http://rapidshare.com/files/129343561/How_To_DIY_-_159_PDFs.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/129397026/1000_Tutorials.rar

yea, I'm not bashing it, it may end up being a decent browser, but do we really need another? there are so many great ones, from lesser known like icab, camino, omniweb, etc to the higher up better known apps like firefox and safari and IE(internet exploder).

hmm sounds interesting..i'll try it when it comes out in non-beta :-D

you might have to wait a while...gmail is still in beta and how long has that been around?

http://rapidshare.com/files/93871964/in_da_club_vs_do_4_luv.mp3

http://rapidshare.com/files/98070920/-1_-_Still_DRE__John_Mix_.mp3

jesus is it? christ i've had mine like 2 years now or more! :-o hmm...

hmmm. looks good. i'll give it a shot.

well its another option should you get peeshed off with yr usual browser. FF is nice and am running v3 atm, but some of the plugins dont half take over yr browsing experience. So I tend to run it minimilastic

Chrome's rendering engine is Apple's WebKit, which is also in Apple's Safari web browser. Not to mention that Google CEO Dr. Eric Schmidt is on Apple’s Board of Directors. Food for thought.

go get it now...
Google Chrome - Download a new browser

and let us know what you think

Sagar

http://rapidshare.com/files/93871964/in_da_club_vs_do_4_luv.mp3

http://rapidshare.com/files/98070920/-1_-_Still_DRE__John_Mix_.mp3

hmmmmmm, idk, i am pretty attached to my iMacros :(