NWA-PCUG Newsletter Article, July 2011
Google Raises Ante in Browser Wars with Chrome 12
By Ira Wilsker, Radio Show Host,
Columnist, College Professor and deputy sheriff
iwilsker@sbcglobal.net
(click to email author)

WEBSITES:
http://www.google.com/chrome
http://www.google.com/support/chrome/bin/answer.py?answer=96817
http://www.google.com/chrome/intl/en/make/features.html
http://chrome.google.com/webstore

Worthy competition from strong competitors is good for the consumer. In the heavily fought browser wars, Firefox 4 has been closing the gap with the current industry leader Internet Explorer, partially since the new and improved Internet Explorer (IE) 9 is incompatible with Windows XP, while Firefox 4 will run on almost all platforms. Not to be lost in the race for browser supremacy is Google, which recently released version 12 of its popular Chrome browser. Chrome has developed a large and loyal following of users, many of whom have sworn off (and swear at) Internet Explorer, and to a lesser extent, Firefox.

With Internet Explorer factory installed on all Windows computers in the U.S., it has a built in near-monopoly status with new users, and those users who are unaware or unwilling to try a new browser. Even among novices, Google is well known as the premier search engine, even being thought of generically when it comes to internet searches. Since so many users of all experience levels use Google, it is inevitable that many of them have seen the advertising for Google's entry in the crowded browser field, and many of those have downloaded Google's Chrome browser. As with almost all other browsers available, Google is free to download and use.

Some may rhetorically ask, "Why Chrome?" The answer is that it is free, will not interfere with any other installed browsers, runs on all recent versions of Windows (XP, Vista, and Windows 7), installs very quickly, is arguably one of the fastest browsers when it comes to displaying web pages, offers search direct from the address bar, and has thousands of third-party applications (known as "apps") available to customize the browser. On my Windows 7-64 computer, the Chrome installer was only a 576k download, which installed the browser on my computer in a matter of seconds.

A warning about the install process may be in order; on the download page for Chrome are a pair of checkboxes that the user needs to be aware of. One checkbox, if checked, will make Chrome the default browser, meaning that Chrome will be opened automatically if a browser is called from the computer or an application. Another checkbox says, "Help make Google Chrome better by automatically sending usage statistics and crash reports to Google." While the usage statistic reports are relatively safe in terms of personal privacy, because no personal information is collected, a crash report that is automatically sent to Google may contain personal information. Google explains this: "Usage statistics contain aggregated information such as preferences, button clicks, and memory usage. It does not include web page URLs or any personal information. Crash reports contain system information at the time of the crash, and may contain web page URLs or personal information , depending on what was happening at the time of the crash." My personal choice is to not check either of the boxes, as it is easy to reconfigure the "Options" in Chrome after it is installed. One minor issue occurred when installing Chrome; it attempted to place a "Google Updater" in my start-up list, which would have run the update utility whenever the computer was booted. Most users will never notice the slight drag on boot time and performance that Google Updater causes, and it will keep Chrome (and any other installed Google products) up to date. My preference is to minimize any programs that load at boot, and to manually check for updates.

There are several powerful reasons why users should consider using Chrome rather than Internet Explorer as the browser of choice. In my experience, the browser is the most commonly used program on the computer, and a good, fast browser can really enhance the computing experience; Chrome can fill that need. Both the published speed comparisons and my own experiences have demonstrated that Chrome is much faster at displaying web pages than Internet Explorer, including the new IE 9. Chrome loads quickly, much faster than Internet Explorer, as it is a smaller footprint to load. Web based applications (apps) also load and run faster on Chrome than IE. The web has become a primary vector to infect or hijack computers, and Chrome offers very good protection from many of the forms of web attack. Chrome utilizes what is called a "sandbox", or a mini-virtual computer and virtual hard drive to open web pages or run many web based apps, such that most potential malware carried by websites or online apps will not take over the computer. The Chrome "Safe Browsing" feature warns against websites that may contain malware, or are suspected phishing (identity theft) websites. If such a website is detected, the browser window turns red, and posts a stern warning about the website. Chrome has one of the cleanest, uncluttered desktops in the browser industry; almost all of the desktop is available to display web content. While most other browsers have one box for internet addresses (URLs) and another box for searches, Chrome utilizes a single bar that serves both functions.

Google offers the "Chrome Web Store" where there are thousands of both free and paid applications, themes, and extensions for Chrome. The apps are categorized into 10 areas, including such subjects as entertainment, games, news and weather, shopping, utilities, social networking, and other subjects. Extensions are small utilities that work with Chrome to enhance its functionality or add additional features. There are hundreds of "Themes" that can be used to change the appearance of Chrome. One of the most popular themes is "Porsche" which has been downloaded and installed over a million times, and includes images of the Porsche 911 series, the Boxster Cayman mid-engine sports car, the Cayenne SUV, and the Panamera.

I am frequently asked on my radio show about the wisdom of having more than one browser installed, and it may be a good idea to do precisely that. On every computer owned by my family I have installed Internet Explorer (latest compatible version, mostly IE 9), Firefox 4, and the new Chrome 12 (some computers also have Opera and the Windows version of Apple's Safari installed). By having multiple browsers installed, the user can try them all, compare them, and decide which one to use as the default or predominant browser. Many users who have multiple browsers available have chosen not to use Microsoft Internet Explorer, as all of the other browsers have some advantages over the ubiquitous IE, mostly in the areas of speed and security. For many users Google's Chrome has become and remains the browser of choice. Open Attachment EXAMINER 062411 - Google Raises Ante in Browser Wars with Chrome 12.doc Open

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