Rise of Google Chrome threatens Internet Explorer, Mozilla Posted: Oct 16, 2010 | Comments: 0 | Share

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I keep getting the following message when I try to email photos: INTERNET EXPLORER HAS BLOCKED THIS SITE FROM USING AN ACTIVE X CONTROL IN AN UNSAFE MANNER. And the photos will not load. how do I fix What are add ons for internet explorer ? My internet explorer keeps stop working now and the,what to i do? How many tabs can you open in internet explorer ?

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The Internet Explorer is consistently losing users as they find that Google Chrome is more charming. Another advantage is that it works on all the three major operating systems: Windows, Mac and Linux whereas its chief opponent is available only on Windows. Therefore, Microsoft relies greatly on the upcoming Internet Explorer 9 in order to maintain their popularity . The use of their browser is reduced to 50 percent today from its the highest market share of 88 percent in 2003.

Their new product will be undoubtedly challenged by Google Chrome. According to the latest study by Net Applications, Internet explorer is likely to continue its loss not only in popularity but also in the market share. If they are able to present a more appealing version, it will create the platform for a healthy competition between Chrome and IE.

Mozilla Firefox attained 30 percent market share and it was second only to Internet Explorer. It succeeded in providing tough competition to Internet Explorer, but its rise was significantly slowed down by the reliability of Google Chrome.

The revenue of $79 million pulled by Mozilla highlights the profitability of web browser business. Before the introduction of their own browser, Google had been paying a lot of money for referrals which encouraged them to launch their own application knowing that their investment would be worthwhile. Mozilla has to search for other advertisement partners, as their long-term tie up with Google will come to a close in 2011.

Companies have not given sufficient importance in the development of mobile web browsers so far, but the coming years will bring revolutions in this area too. The share of mobile internet traffic is increased to 3.5 percent globally and it reached almost five percent in the U.S. and Britain. This significant rise to current 3.5 percent from 0.6 percent in the beginning of 2009 hints that the growth is likely to continue in the next decade too. This statistics will certainly persuade the vendors to come up with more products in the near future.

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Microsoft's Internet Explorer Browser Falls Below 50% of Worldwide Market for First Time - StatCounter
Anonymous. Business Wire. New York: Oct 5, 2010.

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Simpson Financial & Technology PR Kerri Crowley T: + 353 1 260 5300 E: kerri@simpsonftpr.ie Logo: http://www.statcounter.com Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE) browser has fallen below 50% of the worldwide market for the first time according to StatCounter.

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Copyright Business Wire 2010 Simpson Financial & Technology PR Kerri Crowley T: + 353 1 260 5300 E: kerri@simpsonftpr.ie Logo: http://www.statcounter.com Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE) browser has fallen below 50% of the worldwide market for the first time according to StatCounter. The company's research arm, StatCounter Global Stats finds that Microsoft IE fell to 49.87% in September followed by Firefox with 31.5%. Google's Chrome continues to increase market share at an impressive rate and has more than tripled from 3.69% in September 2009 to 11.54% in September this year. "This is certainly a milestone in the Internet browser wars," commented Aodhan Cullen, CEO, StatCounter. "Just two years ago IE dominated the worldwide market with 67%." He added that Microsoft's agreement with European Commission competition authorities to offer EU users a choice and menu of browsers from March may have tipped IE below 50% globally. In Europe, IE market share has fallen to 40.26% in September this year from 46.44% in September last year. In North America IE is still above 50% at 52.3% followed by Firefox at 27.21% and Chrome at 9.87%. The rise of Google Chrome in North America has also been impressive and in June it overtook Safari for the first time. StatCounter Global Stats are based on aggregate data collected by StatCounter on a sample exceeding 15 billion page views per month collected from across the StatCounter network of more than 3 million websites. StatCounter, which provides free website traffic information, publishes browser stats in its StatCounter Global Stats, a free online research tool. It also monitors Internet market share battles including Search Engines, Social Media and Operating Systems including mobile. For individual country analysis go to: http://gs.statcounter.com/#browser-ww-monthly-200909-201009 Further information on our analysis is available at: http://gs.statcounter.com/faq About StatCounter StatCounter, a free online visitor stats tool, was founded in 1999. It offers its members the chance to grow and improve their online businesses by allowing them to monitor the number of hits to their website; the geographical location of visitors; the various pages a visitor views; keywords used to find the site plus other features. For information on this real-time, user-friendly, and free visitor stats tool, please visit www.statcounter.com. Abstract:

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Chrome vs. IE 8: A side-by-side comparison

On first glance, both browsers are speedy, but Chrome is faster
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Suzanne Choney A screenshot from Google's Chrome Web browser shows a user's nine most visited sites, as well as a list of recent bookmarks and recently closed tabs. The tabs, showing open Web pages, are placed over the Web address bar, the opposite of how Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox displays them.

By Suzanne Choney msnbc.com msnbc.com updated 9/3/2008 1:07:51 PM ET 2008-09-03T17:07:51 Share Print Font: + Review
Google knows how to lure users with the seeming simplicity of its products, even though theres a great deal of complexity going on behind the scenes. Microsoft often makes products that seem to create more work than they should for users. That dichotomy is evident in the companies Web browsers Googles new Chrome and Microsofts Windows Internet Explorer 8, both out in beta, or test, versions. (Msnbc.com is a Microsoft-NBC Universal joint venture.) Chrome shines in its simplicity, while IE 8 brings some better functionality to an existing product. Both have lots to offer users. Whether either is a good fit for you will depend on your needs. Just as learning a new operating system can be time-consuming, if youre already happy with the Web browser you use, whether its Internet Explorer 7, Mozillas Firefox, Apples Safari, or Opera, you dont have to download either Chrome or IE 8, both of which are free. However, if you like to use different Web browsers at different times, and some people do, you may want to experiment with both. Visually, Chrome is basic, spare and efficient, an antidote to the busy, cluttered look of Internet Explorer, and the anxiety it can provoke once you get lost within its menus. I asked Google to explain the meaning of its new browsers name, and the explanation fit with what the product evinces. Chrome refers to the user interface of the browser that surrounds the Web page, said Erin Fors of Google. The 'chrome' is everything other than the site itself, including the address bar, toolbars, the window controls and the frame around the bottom. With Google Chrome, we've designed the 'chrome' to be minimal so that users are primarily experiencing the sites and Web applications they're visiting. When you launch a Web application from a desktop shortcut in Google Chrome, the address bar and other browser controls is removed so the 'chrome' is further reduced to just the application frame. Chrome has almost a retro feel to it, as if this is how Web browsing should have been 10 years ago, during a (relatively) simpler time, when the Internet for the masses was still new and all about exploring interesting sites rather than having a knee-slapping night of entertainment finding the grossest videos available on YouTube. Both are speedy; Chrome is faster I did some initial testing of both Web browsers on a year-old ThinkPad running Windows Vista. Chrome

is available for both Vista and XP; Google says versions of Chrome are in the works for the Mac and Linux operating systems. I also use Safari on a Mac, and Firefox on both the Mac and the PC. Firefox remains my preferred browser for now on both operating systems, having proven itself as relatively stable. I found both Chrome and Internet Explorer 8 to work quickly, although Chrome, less laden with add-ons, moves at lightning speed. Its basic interface shows a Web address bar, back and forward buttons, a refresh button and two menus, one for tools and another to handle items such as creating new tabs, new windows and copying and pasting. (By way of comparison, to do those same functions in IE means using three different menus.) In Internet Explorer, the Web site tabs remain located below the address bar, as they are in Firefox. Chrome puts the tabs above the address bar, giving a truer appearance of file folders in a cabinet. Ive never had good luck with having more than two tabs open at once in Internet Explorer before it hangs, in contrast to Firefox. Both Chrome and IE 8 seem to handle multiple tabs with no issues. In IE 8, Microsoft has added crash recovery for tab crashes, so that when they do happen, the tab is restored and and the Web site reloaded as you had it. Im happy to say I didnt need to use crash recovery, and had six tabs open at once without incident, a record in my IE experiences. Quick, visual snapshot Chromes home page is worth the download experience alone. It gives you a visual snapshot of your nine most-visited Web sites, making it easy to go back to them at any time. It also displays a handy list of recent bookmarks, and recently closed tabs, within easy click range on the home page. Chrome and Internet Explorer 8 both have Web address bars that try to anticipate what you want to search for, or where you want to go, as soon as you type in a word. Chrome calls its auto-completion feature Omnibox, and IE 8s is Smart Address Bar. Both of these worked well. Both also have stealth surfing modes, but odds are neither will let you escape the eyes of a forensic examiner if your computer is confiscated. Chromes is called Incognito mode, which you can slip into at any time by clicking on the same menu you use for creating a new tab. Google is quite clear about Incognitos features. Browsing in Incognito mode only keeps Google Chrome from storing information about the Web sites youve visited. The Web sites you visit may still have records of your visit, Google let me know before I enabled Incognito. Any files saved to your computer will still remain on your computer. IE 8s program is InPrivate Browsing, located in the Tools menu. InPrivate Browsing ensures that history, temporary Internet files and cookies are not recorded on users PC after browsing, according to Microsoft. Internet Explorer 8 probably holds more excitement and interest for Web developers and IT managers than everyday Web users. Microsoft has added a lot under the hood to make IE 8 beefier in terms of security and Web development tools. But for those of us who want a fast, no-nonsense Web-browsing experience, Chrome is a terrific option. Its ease of use does take some getting used to imagine that! and its an appealing entry into the competitive Web browsing market. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26519075/ns/technology_and_sciencetech_and_gadgets/

Difference between Google Chrome and Internet Explorer

Tuesday, September 23, 2008 at 3:03:00 PM Posted by MyBhavesh Google's new Chrome Web browser is being hailed as a game-changer. It is fast, has a clean interface and some snazzy features that other browsers do not have. Does that mean you should download it right now and spend the time to learn it? If you like new technology, the answer is "sure". But if you need to be assured of some payoff in new technology before you invest time in it, you might rightly want some questions answered before you switch. Here are a few. The company line is that today's Web browsers -- Internet Explorer (IE) and Firefox chief among them -- were built at a time when most of what people did on the Web were view static pages. Now, Google says, folks want to do all sorts of things on the Web: play games, balance their cheque books, upload and watch elaborate multimedia presentations, even compose documents or create spreadsheets. The major Web browsers, Google's management and developers say, have been slow to keep pace with what users are demanding of the Internet. Google's answer to this was to create a brand new Web browser built from the ground up using the latest technologies and technological innovations. And the goal was to build this new browser as an open source model. This means that developers from around the world will have access to the inner workings of the code so that add-ons, extensions, and improvements can be made by the worldwide community of developers. Google believes that with this platform, developers will be able to build the next-generation of Web applications. Holding the reins of this initiative, of course, gives Google tremendous power should the browser come to dominate, and there's clearly plenty of ways the company can exploit that for its own purposes. Chrome, for example, was built in part to handle the JavaScript programming language better than current browsers do. Google's own online office programmes -- dubbed Google docs -- use JavaScript heavily, and these programmes may one day be in direct competition with Microsoft's lucrative Office platform. Chrome is different in quite a few ways. It looks different, first of all. The interface is virtually bereft of the clutter that accompanies other browsers. There's no menu bar in Chrome, nor is there a tool bar or status bar. The content area of the browser is larger than that of any other browser you've likely seen. Expand the browser to full screen, and websites essentially fill most of your desktop. The area occupied by the address bar in other browsers -- the place you can type or see the URL or Web address of the page you're viewing -- acts as a search field in Chrome. So you don't specifically need to visit a search engine site to conduct a search. Once you land on a Web page, however, the Web address is shown in the same area where you conducted the search. To customise the browser, you click a wrench icon to the right of the address bar. A page icon appears just before the wrench icon. Click that, and you will see a drop-down menu with all of the page-level options, including launching a new tab, searching, zooming, and printing.

Chrome launches faster than IE or Firefox. Performance while you're working with particular websites seems about the same. On the downside, Chrome's bookmark feature is not nearly as robust as either IE's or Firefox's -- there doesn't even appear to be a way to access the bookmarks using the keyboard alone. Chrome, like Firefox, also allows Flash-heavy pages, such as those on YouTube, to consume a significant amount of processing power, slowing your overall system performance. The upcoming version of IE -- version 8 -- is much better in this regard.

http://www.bhaveshthaker.com/2008/09/difference-between-google-chromeand.html

Comparison: Internet Explorer 8 Above Google Chrome and Firefox Under

Article Review

by:aymenbnr Not yet rated Visits : 324 words:300

Original Author: aymenbnr

The war between the browsers is indeed declared. If Microsoft reigned supreme a few years ago, Internet browsers are gradually emerged since. There was Netscape Navigator and the latest Chrome and Firefox, which appear as very potential competitors in the eyes of Microsoft, so that, to catch up, the firm book online Explorer 8 with significantly enhanced functionality. The arguments for promoting Microsoft.

Campaign Under the eye of the interested users of Linux (some probably still remember the famous slogan "Get the facts!"), Microsoft launched its offensive promotional Internet Explorer 8 campaign which focuses on three main aspects.

The opportunity In fact, it should not be much to convince users to adopt the version of IE 8, Internet Explorer 7 as "suffering" that some "oversights" that will largely be made up by his youngest 8. Indeed, this is one major reason for controversy surrounding the version 7.

Comparison with other browsers Google Chrome and Firefox have been selected to serve as a reference for this comparison. The choice of Firefox is predictable insofar as the latter, a little suffering in the version 3, waiting for a good re-rail with its 3.5

version. But what is strange is that neither Opera or Apple's Safari have been allowed in the race.

Nevertheless, according to Microsoft, according to tests submitted to all three browsers, Firefox and Chrome to match arrive at most 7 in IE8 on 10 criteria. In other words, no two browsers competitors can not exceed Internet Explorer on 10 criteria and when they arrived only on 7 criteria "only".

http://www.shvoong.com/internet-and-technologies/software/1915494-comparisoninternet-explorer-google-chrome/

Google Chrome Web Browser Review

About.com Rating4.5 Star Rating Be the first to write a review From Mark Baggesen

Whats Great about Chrome and Why Microsoft Should be Worried

See More About:

google reviews web browsers windows

Screen Capture

Visit Their Website Review by Mark Baggesen, About.com Guide to Windows Not happy with creating a myriad of applications that keep Microsoft Executives up late at night worrying about market share, Google has done it again. In creating an open source browser, from Apple code, Google has not only created a wonderful new tool for web surfers to use, it has shown the way browsers should work. And better yet, it allows users to genuinely architect their browser experience.

Fast, Faster, Fastest

Having used this browser for more than a month, I can tell you that it is 2 to 3 times faster, on average, than other browser in downloading web pages - there is very little, click and wait for the next page to appear.

Easy to Use When you install this application it imports all your settings and favorites. You can then start browsing without delay. Some of your top links are displayed on a line on the browser header, all the rest are under the icon button titled Other bookmarks. You can drag and drop Bookmarks from this menu to the browser header.

Useful Features
This browser has many useful and innovative features that are both obvious and hidden in the sub-menus (Page and Tool icon in the top right corner of browser window).

Security If you enter a web address for a site that does not, for whatever reason, appear to be safe, Google Chrome displays a page telling you and offers two selections: Continue On or Go back to a safe web page. Downloads When you first download a file or program, Chrome creates a folder in My Documents called Downloads. You can access a current or past downloaded file from this browser, or by going to the Downloads folder. While it downloads, you can either wait for it do finish or go to a completely different web site it will continue to download and show you when it is done. IDs and Passwords Each time you go to a web site that requires an ID and password, Chrome offers to save these after you enter them. This is a huge time saver, especially if you use password protected web sites often. Chrome will auto-fill the ID and Password fields when you go back to the logon screen for this web site. It will also keep you from forgetting your logon IDs and Passwords. There are many other features worth investigating as well. Such as: Opening a new tab will cause the browser to show you images of the sites you most frequently visit; Setting up your default opening screen to return to the last page you viewed, creating application shortcuts; and a find feature that allows you to click down a page to each occurrence of a word you are looking for.

Learning Curve
Like any new application, Google Chrome is somewhat different than IE 7, Firefox and others. These differences can be easily learned and exploited. No Print Preview Screen If you like to preview a web page for printing before you print it, Chrome will not do this for you. If this is a deal breaker for you, stay with IE 7 until Google adds that function. Website Incompatibility Some web sites will not recognize this browser and recommend you upgrade to IE 7 or Firefox I cant talk to the reasons for stating this, other than perhaps these web sites are only set up to work properly with those browsers. At least 98% of the time, Chrome works with everything. Some Multimedia Plug-ins Do Not Work Occasionally, 2% of the time you will see this happen. When it does, you will see a frowny face and a statement that you might go somewhere to download a new plug-in. If this happens to you, copy the web address and paste it into IE 7 or your other favorite browser and see if it works. It probably will. No Export of Your New Faves If you use Chrome for a while and accumulate new favorite links, you cannot automatically export those from Chrome, like you can in IE 7. You would have to copy and paste each link into IE 7 and save it.

The Bottom Line

Screen Capture

Google Chrome is a real winner of a browser and worth investigating. Keep your IE 7 or other browser for now. Chrome still has a way to go before you can use it exclusively. Download Chrome for Windows on the Web atchrome.google.com.

http://google.about.com/od/googlereviews/fr/ChromeFR.htm

The 2008 About Web Browsers Awards

Best New Browser - Google Chrome
By Scott Orgera, About.com Guide

Filed In:

1.

All About Web Browsers

(Photo Scott Orgera)

The Google Name Over the past several years, it seems as if Google has had their hands in everything on the Web. From boasting the number one search engine to offering a browser-based Office suite, the company's name resonates in many circles. Even the verb "google" has gained enough legitimacy to find its way onto the pages of Merriam-Webster's dictionary. What Next? As Web browsers continued to gain more notoriety, due in part to heightened competition and notable advances in functionality, it seemed like the next logical move for the search giant would be to get in on the action. Rumors of a Google browser bounced around the blogosphere for quite some time. However, the company remained tight-lipped about the subject until late August of this year. The industry was abuzz as word of an imminent release began to spread. Just a few days later, on September 2, a beta version of Google Chrome was made available for download.

First Impressions Initial reactions were mostly positive, as was my own personal assessment. Chrome was simple yet fast, and its future potential was clearly evident from the get-go. Things weren't all rosy, though, as security problems surfaced early on. Nevertheless, Chrome was alreadymaking its mark and the people were definitely talking. Going Forward... During the following months Google listened intently to public feedback, adding enhancements and fixing defects. Even though the browser was still in a testing stage, its market share began to increase at a fairly impressive rate. Just a few weeks ago, on December 11, Chrome was finally stripped of its beta tag and became an official browser release. Things still aren't perfect, as evidenced by an update released just days after the fact. However, Chrome is definitely headed in the right direction and is sure to be a major player in the Web browser market for years to come.

http://browsers.about.com/od/allaboutwebbrowsers/a/bestnewbrowser.htm

Google Chrome Web Browser

Chrome Review, by Nick Mediati December 12, 2008

Update: Now that Chrome is no longer in beta, we have updated our review to reflect changes made since we took our first look at it. Google takes aim squarely at Microsoft with the release of its new Web browser, Chrome. Even though it isn't jam-packed with features, Chrome lives up to its hype by rethinking the Web browser in clever and convenient ways that make using the Web a more organic experience than you'd get with either Microsoft's Internet Explorer 8 or Mozilla's Firefox 3. Initially available for download for Windows Vista and XP, Google plans to expand its Chrome offerings to the Mac and Linux platforms as well. The company doesn't offer any timeline for these versions, though. (For additional PCWorld.com coverage of Google's new browser, see "Chrome vs. the World" and "Google's Chrome: 7 Reasons for It and 7 Reasons Against It.") Chrome automatically detects the Web browser you're using and prompts you through the process of installation (right down to telling you how to access downloaded files within Firefox, for example). When you first run the application, Chrome imports your bookmarks, passwords, and settings from Firefox or Internet Explorer. It even can grab username and password data, and it automatically populates those fields for you when you use Chrome for the first time to visit a particular site. After running through a quick import checklist, Chrome opens on your desktop--and right away you begin to experience the Web in a new way. Chrome's layout is very simple: You'll see a row of tabs running along the top, a Web address bar, and a bookmarks bar that runs beneath the address bar. A separate recentbookmarks box appears at the right of the screen. Like its Google stablemates, Chrome has a remarkably minimalist interface. There is no full-scale menu bar and no title bar--and few distractions. All controls are buried beneath two icons to the right of the Omnibar (as Google refers to its address bar): a page icon for managing tabs and using Google Gears to create applicationlike shortcuts from your desktop to a Web site; and a wrench for history, downloads, and other browser options.

You can set your own home page, or you can use the 'most visited' sites page as your starting point. This page provides thumbnail images of your most frequently visited sites, shows recent bookmarks, and supplies a search field for searching your page history. You can change your default search engine, too: This option is located beneath the wrench icon, under Options . Chrome's design bridges the gap between desktop and so-called "cloud computing." At the touch of a button, Chrome lets you make a desktop, Start menu, or QuickLaunch shortcut to any Web page or Web application, blurring the line between what's online and what's inside your PC. For example, I created a desktop shortcut for Google Maps. When you create a shortcut for a Web application, Chrome strips away all of the toolbars and tabs from the window, leaving you with something that feels much more like a desktop application than like a Web application or page. The lack of forward and back buttons means that if you browse between pages in a saved Web application you may find yourself a little confused if you want to go back a page. Chrome does let you right-click to navigate backward, however. This being Google, search is an integral part of Chrome; and Google has added some clever features to make searching easier. Chrome goes beyond its Microsoft and Mozilla competition by searching your browser history's page titles as well page content. The history results show the title of the page, as well as a thumbnail representation of the page (for most sites but not all; it was unclear why some sites were visually represented while others were not), but it doesn't show the actual Web page address. The lack of URL information can make it difficult to identify the specific Web page you're going to, especially if the site's title bar description is not specific (because, say, different sections of the same site have identical title bar descriptors). For example, earlier today I took a look at our slideshow, Technology for the Obscenely Wealthy. To find the article in my browser history, I simply typed 'obscenely wealthy' in the Omnibar. The resulting list showed every page I had visited that contained the phrase 'obscenely wealthy'. Conveniently, the Omnibar lets you search not just your history, but Google and other sites as well. The default search engine is Google, as you might expect. However, you can choose from a list of other search engines, or you can manually add your own search engine. Type 'google fish sticks' to search for fish sticks on Google. The same syntax works for Yahoo, Ask, Live Search, and other sites that are already recognized by Google or that you add to Chrome's collection of search engines. Chrome includes a number of features that appear in other browsers, such as a private browsing mode (dubbed Incognito), tools for Web developers to use in viewing and troubleshooting source code, and the ability to restore all tabs from a previous session. Chrome also features tab isolation: If a Web page causes a problem with Chrome and leads to a crash, the crash will affect only the tab displaying the page and not the whole program. Internet Explorer 8 will offer a similar feature, but Chrome takes the idea a step further by adding a task manager that gives the user an idea of how much memory and CPU use a page is eating up, and by allowing you to kill anything that is causing a problem. Unfortunately, you have to configure this tool manually. Unlike the original beta, the nonbeta release of Chrome features an actual bookmarks manager (the beta we initially reviewed featured only a drop-down menu on the right-hand side of the bookmarks bar). The bookmarks manager lives in a separate window, and uses a two-pane layout: The left-hand pane displays folders of bookmarks, and the right-hand pane shows the contents of bookmark folders. A search field is in the upper-right corner of the bookmarks manager window, and results appear as you type. If you've ever used Safari, Chrome's bookmark manager will look very familiar. By default, Chrome will not restore your session; if Chrome crashes, it takes everything with it unless you manually configure the browser to act otherwise (the configuration options are buried under the wrench icon, in the Options/Basics menu). In contrast, Mozilla Firefox and Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 automatically restore your previous session in the event of a crash.

The sites I visited that rely on JavaScript and Ajax seemed to work fine, but Microsoft's Silverlight does not support Chrome at this time, even though it works with Safari, which uses the same WebKit browser engine as Chrome. Google has produced an excellent browser that is friendly enough to handle average browsing activities without complicating the tasks, but at the same time is powerful enough to meet the needs of more-advanced users. The search functionality of the Omnibar is one of many innovations that caught my attention. PC World has chosen to rate this beta version of Chrome because of Google's history of leaving products and services in long-term beta and in an ongoing state of evolution. In the past there has been some speculation that Google would develop its own operating system, but I think that Chrome's launch makes one thing is clear: The Web browser is Google's operating system. --Nick Mediati

http://www.pcworld.com/reviews/product/32156/review/chrome.html

Google Chrome for Mac Review

Google's Browser Enters Public Beta for Apple Users Everywhere
Dec 21, 2009 Harry Marks

Google Chrome for Mac Screenshot - christyxcore

For its first public beta release, Google Chrome offers a secure & stable browsing experience on the Mac, but its lack of core features make its recommendation difficult.

Since September 2008, Microsoft Windows users have been able to take advantage of Googles speedy and efficient Chrome Browser. With a vast library of extensions to increase functionality and the ability to isolate each tab as if it were a separate browser session, Google Chrome became the dark horse of the Windows browser race. Now, Apple users have their chance to enjoy Googles browser with the recently-released public beta of Chrome for Mac.

Chrome for Mac Speeds Right Out of the Gate

Googles Chrome browser is not hampered down by superfluous code and can handle almost anything the user throws at it. In unofficial testing on a Macbook Pro with a 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 4 GB DDR2 SDRAM, the Chrome browser took an average of 19.8 seconds to start up and load its default home page. This was compared to Safaris average startup time of 23.4 seconds and Mozilla Firefoxs 21.3 seconds. Google Chrome not only starts up faster than Safari and Firefox, it loads pages faster, as well. Process-heavy web sites, such as YouTube and Facebook, load seconds faster in Chrome than they do in Apple's or Mozilla's browsers. Seconds may not mean much at first, but seconds add up to minutes and the little time that is saved is definitely noticed after several hours of use.

Stability is Chromes Middle Name

One of Google Chromes most intriguing features is process isolation, or, a way to prevent tasks and processes occurring on separate tabs from interfering with one another. Process isolation is enabled by default and as such, Google Chrome is more secure and stable upon launch. If a process within a specific tab crashes (i.e. YouTube stalls and fails completely), only the tab where YouTube was launched is affected while the other tabs are left untouched.

Google Chrome has the Little Things That Count

Chrome, named after the user interface frame present on all web browsers, ironically lacks much of its namesake. Chrome is a very minimalist browser. The lack of extraneous toolbars and menus mean more content is visible onscreen and less scrolling is required. In addition, a current downloads progress can be viewed in a status bar that appears on the bottom of the screen, eliminating the separate Downloads window found in other browsers. If the user clicks the Show all downloads... link within the status bar, a new tab is opened with a searchable list of all previous downloads. Once a desired download is located, the user can opt to have Chrome reveal the location of the file in the Finder, ending the hunt for lost files deep in the bowels of ones computer.

Read on
Best Browsers New and Old Using Multiple Browsers Google Debuts New Web Browser

No Search Bar Necessary

Noticeably absent is a search bar in the top right corner of the frame. Rather than squeeze in a search bar, Google made Chromes address bar perform double duty. When a search word or phrase is typed into the URL bar, it renders a standard Google search results page. If the user types in a URL, the desired page is loaded instead. Once the user gets used to using Chrome in this fashion, it makes it difficult to go back to other browsers. The minimal amount of clicks needed to perform a task is definitely noticed in Google Chrome and makes Safari and Firefox seem clunky.

Google Chrome Goes Incognito

Privacy mode is a feature available on most current web browsers, including Internet Explorer 8, Safari and Firefox 3.5. Google calls it's version Incognito mode. While the user is in Incognito mode, the Chrome browser will not store any history or cookie information from visited websites, providing the utmost security should prying eyes decide to walk through the browsers history at a later time.

Chrome's Missing Features

Since it is still technically in beta, Google Chrome is missing some features found in other browsers. Chrome for Windows allows users to install extensions - little applications that boost the functionality of the browser. At the time of this articles publication, extensions have not yet been made available for Chrome for Mac. While its not a heart-breaking loss, it does mean Chrome for Mac contains less functionality than Chrome for Windows or Mozilla Firefox, which also provides installable extensions. Googles browser also lacks alerts when closing multiple tabs. One mis-click of the red X in the top left corner of the screen and an entire browser session is lost. Additionally, the most noticeable (and missed) feature absent from Google Chrome for Mac is the ability to save open tabs for later use. Those who have used Firefox 3.0 and later will certainly miss closing a browser session of 10+ tabs and reopening them like nothing ever happened. Should Chrome crash (which doesnt happen often), it will offer to restore the previously open tabs to their former glory, but theres no way to enable that feature in case the user closes the browser on purpose. This will hopefully be fixed once Google releases the final version of the application.

The Final Word on Google Chrome

Googles Chrome browser definitely wins in the speed department and is quite stable for the first public beta release. Those who choose to replace Safari with Chrome as their default browser will not be disappointed. However, people who have grown used to the extensions, customizability and saved browsing sessions of Firefox will most likely be switching back after a week or two of constant use. It takes some getting used to, but once Chrome for Mac is officially released and the above features are added in, its speed and security will make Google Chrome a serious contender against Safari and Firefox. You can get Chrome for Mac at http://chrome.google.com Copyright Harry Marks. Contact the author to obtain permission for republication.

Read more at Suite101: Google Chrome for Mac Review: Google's Browser Enters Public Beta for Apple Users Everywhere http://www.suite101.com/content/google-chrome-for-mac-review-a181923#ixzz12whzqEVl

http://www.suite101.com/content/google-chrome-for-mac-review-a181923

Mozilla Not Worried About Google Browser

By Om Malik Sep. 1, 2008, 3:49pm PDT 31 Comments

In response to todays news that Google is releasing its own browser, codenamed Chrome, I decide to call John Lilly, CEO of Mozilla Corp., the folks behind the fast-growing Firefox browser. My intention was to find out what Lilly thought about this development, especially since Mozilla has been viewed as close personal partner of Googles. Recent Research

In Q3, the Tablet and 4G Were the Big Stories Report: Cleantechs Third-Quarter Growing Pains Mobile Overview, Q2 2010 Green IT Overview, Q2 2010

The open-source browser maker depends heavily on a lucrative financial deal it has signed with the search company. The pair recently renewed the deal to last through 2011. Was Lilly worried about yet another browser in the market? After all, the emergence of Linux has had an equally deflationary impact on the UNIX market. Can a Google browser, promoted on Google homepage and pushed through Googles mobile OS, become a sticky wicket for Mozilla Firefox? We collaborate with them on a bunch of things and we have a financial relationship, Lilly says. So there is another browser and that makes for a more competitive world. Of course we would have to compete.

Given that Microsoft still controls about 72 percent of the browser market, Google cant afford to leave that business to chance. Web is its business, and the browser is a necessary weapon for the company. It is not surprising that they are doing a browser. Google does many things (servers, energy) that touch their business, he said. They feel that they can make a better browser by starting from scratchadvances in browsers are good. Lilly pointed out that most of the other browser vendors Microsoft, Apple and now Google have other businesses and thus another agenda. For Mozilla, Firefox was the only agenda. Our only agenda is to make web better it is our single mission, Lilly says. With over 200 million users worldwide and a development team made up mostly of volunteers, Lilly says he isnt worried about Chrome just yet. I really dont know how it will impact us, he says. He is right to take a wait-and-see attitude. For one, browser market share doesnt change overnight. Google, despite its awesome reach, has a history of launching products that tend to lose steam. It has yet to hit home runs that rival its search and contextual advertising businesses. Not having seen Chrome, I will withhold any final judgement myself, but I would look at the privacy implications of Chrome very, very carefully. I have long since stopped buying into the do no evil drivel the company keeps espousing. This tussle between Mozilla and Google is going to get more gripping in coming years.Mozilla has a services strategy Project Weave that could eventually compete with Googles suite of services. Whatever it is, it seems like Mozilla is ready for the challenge. And just when we thought the world of browsers was getting boring.

http://gigaom.com/2008/09/01/mozilla-not-worried-about-google-browser/

Internet Explorer falls below 50 percent global marketshare, Chrome usage triples
By Tim Stevens posted Oct 5th 2010 7:19AM

Oh, IE, it pains us to do this to you. You who once so mightily won in the battle against Netscape Navigator now seem to be losing your war against a battalion of upstarts, relatively fresh faces likeFirefox and Chrome. According to StatCounter, IE's global usage stats have fallen to 49.87 percent, a fraction of a tick beneath half. Firefox makes up the lion share of the rest, at 31.5 percent, while Chrome usage tripled since last year, up to 11.54 percent. Two years ago IE had two thirds of the global market locked down, and even if Internet Explorer 9 is the best thing since ActiveX, well, we just don't see the tide of this battle turning without MS calling in some serious reinforcements. Update: If you needed more proof of Chrome's increasing popularity, we got a tip on this report fromSoftpedia confirming that Chrome is the fastest growing browser of the moment. Firefox is more or less flat and, well, you know all about how IE is faring.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/05/internet-explorer-falls-below-50-percent-globalmarketshare-chr?icid=sphere_blogsmith_inpage_engadget

Google Chrome 5
By Nathan Alderman, Macworld.com -

June 22, 2010

Bug-free and beautifully designed, Google Chrome 5 strives to combine the best of all browser worlds. Like Mozillas Firefox, Chrome lets users customize its appearance and functionality. But it may also be the first Mac browser to truly give Safaris raw power a run for its money.

This chrome comes with a V8

On a 2GHz aluminum MacBook with 2GB RAM, I tested Chrome 5 against its latest competitors: Safari5, Firefox 3.6.3, and Opera 10.53. Chrome runs as close as any browser can to the bleeding edge of Web standards. Though it uses the same open source WebKit rendering engine as Safari, it doesnt reliably support the controversial, proprietary CSS3 transformation and animation tricks that Apples built into Safari. However, like every browser I tested, it earned a perfect score in a compatibility test for CSS3 selectors, and it joined Safari and Opera with a flawless score of 100 in the Acid3 web standards benchmark. Chrome 5 also supports both Apples H.264 codec and Mozillas preferred open source Ogg Theora technology for plugin-free HTML5 video, and it beautifully played back HTML5 demo videos from YouTube and Brightcove. In XHTML and CSS tests, Chrome was surprisingly slower than Safari, despite their shared rendering engine but the race was close. Safari rendered a local XHTML test page in 0.58 seconds to Chromes 0.78 seconds, and a local CSS test page in 33 milliseconds to Chromes 51 milliseconds. Note that Chrome still rendered XHTML more than twice as fast as Opera (1.67 seconds) and left Firefox (12.42 secondsno, thats not a typo) eating its dust. In CSS, it also beat the pants off Opera (193 milliseconds) and Firefox (342 milliseconds). But Chrome shines brightest when handling JavaScript. Its V8 engine zipped through the SunSpider Javascript benchmark in 448.6 milliseconds, narrowly beating Operas 485.8 milliseconds, and absolutely plastering Firefoxs 1,161.4 milliseconds. However, Safari 5s time of 376.3 miliseconds in the SunSpider test beat Chrome 5 handily. Chromes focus on JavaScript makes sense; the technology underpins the many Web-based tools Googles pushing as alternatives to conventional software. Its in Googles best interest to offer a browser that handles those sites faster than anything else.

Web browser performance tests

XHTML (second s) SunSpider JavaScript (milisecond s) CSS (milisecond s) Acid3 (score out of 100) CSS3 Selectors (max. possible score is 578) 576 578 578 578

Safari 5 Opera 10.53 Firefox 3.6.3 Chrome 5

0.58 1.67 12.42 0.78

376.2 485.8 1161.4 448.6

33 193 342 51

100 100 94 100

Fastest times in bold. XHTML and CSS numbers are the fastest results out of six consecutive tests for each browser.

A polished experience
Chrome felt pleasantly brisk and responsive in general use, rendering pages and starting up with speeds roughly equivalent to Safari. I also liked Chromes appealing interface, with smoothly animated tabs that popped up or down when opened or closed, and slid easily back and forth when reordered. In several days of consistent use on a variety of sites, Chrome rendered pages spotlessly and didnt crash once. Google has heavily touted Chromes sandboxing feature, in which each tab in the browser is its own separate process. If some glitch makes one tab crash, the others can keep running without bringing down the entire browser. Featurewise, Chrome offers the usual slate of privacy and security features found on most modern browsers, all competently executed. But it lacks additional touches like Firefoxs clever Forget This Site option in the browser history. Chrome does ape Firefox with a collection of artistic themes to gussy up your browser window, and an impressive library of user-created extensions.

Anything you can do: Like Firefox, Chromes handy extensions add useful new features to your Web browsing. Invisible Hand compares prices on shopping sites to tell you when you could be saving money elsewhere.

Chromes best and most useful feature is its Omnibox. The browsers location bar also brings up search results from your bookmarks and browser history as you typeand seamlessly doubles as Google search box. Its an elegantly simple idea, and it works exactly like youd expect it to. I also loved the page auditor hidden in Chromes developer tools. With one click, Chrome will analyze a given Web page, producing a helpful list of ways to optimize its codea dream come true for Web designers.

That said, in several ways Chromes usability lags Safaris. In Chromes Bookmarks bar, theres no Open All in Tabs option for a folder of sites; youll have to counter-intuitively right-click and select that option from a menu. When editing bookmarks, you cant select multiple bookmarks to drag and drop into a new folder, and you have to right-click and select edit to change a bookmarks URL. And because each tab is its own process, the title of the Web page youre looking at is often truncated and unreadable within the confines of the tiny tab. In addition, Netflixs Watch Instantly feature doesnt currently support Chrome; attempts to disguise the browsers user-agent string as Safari or Firefox stubbornly failed. If you love to watch Netflix movies in your Web browser, Chrome is not for you. Web surfers who rely on Mac OS Xs Universal Access features should also avoid Chrome for now. Asone user noted, Chrome disables the accessibility features built into WebKit. A Chrome engineer later posted that Googles working to restore accessibility in future versions.

Your very own code inspector: Tucked away in Chrome 5s developer tools, the Audit feature tells Web designers all the ways their code could be even better.

Macworlds buying advice

Far faster than Firefox, and more customizable than Safari, Chrome reaches a very happy medium between the two. Its a great addition to the ranks of Mac browsers, and a clarion call to Apple, Mozilla, and Opera to step up their game. [Nathan Alderman is a conspicuously shiny writer and editor in Alexandria, Va.]

http://www.macworld.com/reviews/product/32156/review/chrome.html

Google Chrome browser: Review of reviews

Compiled by Matthew Moore Published: 11:32AM BST 02 Sep 2008 Comments Google Chrome, the search giant's first ever web browser, was released to great fanfare on Tuesday, amid talk that it could one day pass Internet Explorer as the world's most popular browser. The version released for free download is only at the beta - testing - stage, but users and critics have been quick to pass early judgment. The consensus? Google Chrome is attractive, fast and has some impressive new features, but may not - yet - be a threat to its Microsoft rival.
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Here is a selection of reviews from some of the most respected technology blogs and writers on the web. Click on the links to read the full reviews, or post your first impressions of Google Chrome in the box at the bottom of the story. All in all, Google Chrome, after just a little time using it, is superb. Its not only fast, but its useful. Its not only elegant, but it understands what you really want to do with a browser. And although it suffers from some setbacks that shouldnt be overlooked, its still a highly-capable browser. Download Chrome. You wont regret it. TechCrunch Google has produced an excellent browser that is friendly enough to handle average browsing activities without complicating the tasks, but at the same time it's powerful enough to meet the needs of more-advanced users. The search functionality of the Omnibar is one of many innovations that caught my attention. PC World While Chrome's performance is a little better than that of Firefox, in practical terms, it is far less useful, because it lacks the broad array of third-party add-ons programs like Flashblock that make Firefox so customizable. With time, it might catch up, but in the meantime, I'd recommend giving the new Internet Explorer a spin. The Associated Press The interface in Chrome is very different from other browsers and takes a little getting used to. Instead of the traditional Netscape/IE-style toolbar across the top, Chrome puts tabs across the top. Moreover, the tabs are detachable, so the terms "tabs" and "windows" become interchangeable within Chrome. CNET Will Google Chrome shape the way Web browsers are developed and designed? It is too early to tell, but Google has certainly come up with something appealing and unique. Will Chrome replace Internet Explorer or Firefox? Perhaps

not in its present form, and not for a very long time. Overall, Chrome is a killer little application to have and offers a nice break from tradition when surfing the Web. While there's plenty of room to for growth and improvement, the first beta release is impressive. The Tech Herald Chrome is a smart, innovative browser that, in many common scenarios, will make using the Web faster, easier and less frustrating. But this first version which is just a beta, or test, release is rough around the edges and lacks some common browser features Google plans to add later. These omissions include a way to manage bookmarks, a command for emailing links and pages directly from the browser, and even a progress bar to show how much of a Web page has loaded. Walter S Mossberg from the Wall Street Journal It munches through media sites with ease, streaming music and video and handling Flash very smoothly. PDFs open so suddenly that you might not even realise you're using them. Opening a new tab brings up not your home page (although you can switch to that) but a thumbnail view of your nine most visited sites, plus recent bookmarks and a box to search your history. Overall, my first impression of Chrome is 9/10 for speed, 8/10 for ease of use and 7/10 for stability. And those figures should have Microsoft and Mozilla very, very worried. TechRadar What I discovered was a product that has some clear advantages over Microsoft's, but also some shortcomings that, overall, hardly make it a killer - at least today. To be sure, Chrome is a work in progress. In addition to being a test version, outside developers are invited to make improvements. But it faces a stiff challenge from Microsoft, which also is making improvements with its latest iteration, which includes some of the same features as Chrome, like tabbed browsing. San Francisco Chronicle Our first impression of Chrome is that it's nice and fast. There's very little lag opening pages and the entire interface feels very streamlined. Dragging tabs in and out of windows is awesome, with a transparent version of the page pulling away with your mouse. The fact that you can pull tabs out of windows as well as combine windows is a great touch. Everything involving the tabs feels very, very smooth.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/3358306/Google-Chrome-browser-Reviewof-reviews.html

Google Pulls Support for Internet Explorer 6

By Herb Torrens 02/02/2010

Support for Internet Explorer 6 appears to be dwindling after Microsoft's Web browser was exploited for wellpublicized attacks on Google and other companies. Last week, Google encouraged users to update their browsers "as soon as possible." The company plans to phase out support for IE 6 on March 1, which means that some IE 6 features won't work on Google Docs and Google Sites, the company explained in a blog post.

"Like many other companies, including Microsoft, we'd like people to upgrade to modern browsers so that we can continue using the latest web technologies to bring new, innovative features to our users," noted a Google spokesperson by e-mail. "We encourage users to upgrade to a newer version of their preferred browser, whether that be Internet Explorer, Firefox, or any other browser."

A Microsoft spokesperson stated that Microsoft has consistently recommended that consumers upgrade to the latest version of its browser. Companies, on the other hand, may have technical reasons why they have difficulty upgrading. For instance, they may have brittle legacy apps based on an earlier browser version. "Internet Explorer 8 offers improvements in speed, security and reliability as well as new features designed for the way people use the web," said a Microsoft spokesperson by e-mail. "While we recommend Internet Explorer 8 to all customers, we understand we have a number of corporate customers for whom broad deployment of new technologies across their desktops requires more planning." On January 21, Microsoft released a security bulletin (MS10-002) to address eight vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer. The cumulative update included a fix for the remote code execution vulnerability reported insecurity advisory 979352 that was associated with the attacks on Google. Web developers have long complained about having to code their sites for IE 6 because the browser is still widely used. The eight-year-old IE 6 typically has been derided as a non-standards-compliant browser among Web developers and other browser makers. Users of IE 6 not only face security vulnerabilities, but they may also start to see limitations in usability, particularly with regard to video and audio. A general shift away from IE 6 appears to be happening. In January, IE 8 succeeded IE 6 as the "most used" browser, according to Net Applications. Mozilla Firefox was next, in third position, followed by IE 7, Google Chrome and Apple Safari. While Google is free to drop support for IE 6, Microsoft is bound by its Windows support agreements (Microsoft considers Internet Explorer to be a "feature" of Windows). Support for Internet Explorer follows the lifecycle of the operating system with which it was shipped, a Microsoft spokesperson noted in an e-mail. IE 6 began shipping with Windows XP in August of 2001. Windows XP users will have to transition to Service Pack 3 by July 2010 to be eligible for IE 6 support, which will expire on April 2014, according to a Microsoft statement. Google recommends that users of Google Docs and Google Sites update their browsers to IE 7.0+, Mozilla Firefox 3.0+, Google Chrome 4.0+ or Safari 3.0+. A Google spokesperson noted that the Opera browser was not recommended because it is not a "supported browser" for Google's applications.

About the Author

Herb Torrens is an award-winning freelance writer based in Southern California. He managed the MCSP program for a leading computer telephony integrator for more than five years and has worked with numerous solution providers including HP/Compaq, Nortel, and Microsoft in all forms of media.

http://mcpmag.com/articles/2010/02/02/google-pulls-support-for-internet-explorer6.aspx

Inside IE 9: The Chrome Effect

By Kurt Mackie 09/30/2010

The beta of IE 9 is more than just a browser for Microsoft -- it's a direct shot in its war against Google, and it shows.

The beta of Internet Explorer 9 was released on Sept. 15, amidst much fanfare, at Microsoft's launch event in San Francisco. It's a Web browser, but the release also signals Microsoft's future direction, as well as the fate of its Windows cash cow. Much may rest on IE 9's success. Microsoft was hardly keeping the details about IE 9 a secret. The company has been publicizing its IE 9 engineering efforts with a PR blitz that started in March. It produced four "platform preview" prototypes of IE 9 before the beta release, which showcased early positive performance results. Microsoft's platform preview tests typically showed IE 9 beating or equaling its browser competition. All that was missing from those IE 9 browser prototypes before the beta launch was security and user interface flourishes. Consequently, expectations were high that the IE 9 beta would live up to its hype when released. With the beta now available, Microsoft appears to have made its case. IE 9 has the speed and ease-of-use qualities found in Google Chrome, but it offers greater security options for users. For instance, Microsoft has introduced a download manager in the IE 9 beta that alerts users when they may be about to click on a download deemed to be untrustworthy. The ponderous slowness of IE 8, which Microsoft typically blamed on third-party add-ons, is gone. Plus, Microsoft added a tool in the IE 9 beta that tells users when an add-on is causing a performance hits, enabling better user control over potential browser slowness issues.

Ideas Borrowed From Google Chrome

The IE 9 beta has a stripped-down or "minimalist" look, adopting some of the features seen in the Google Chrome browser. For instance, opening a new tab in IE 9 brings up a "popular sites" screen showing the logos of the most visited Web pages. The popular sites screen looks a lot like that same screen in Google Chrome, which is accessed in the same way. The one difference is that Google Chrome uses screenshots instead of the logo icons used in IE 9 beta (see Figure 1).

[Click on image for larger view.]

Figure 1. IE 9's use of logo icons. Another feature copied from Google Chrome is the "one box" address bar. Essentially, Microsoft removed the separate search text box seen in earlier IE releases. IE 9 beta users can type the URLs of Web pages in the address bar or they can type queries to search there, and one box "knows" the difference (see Figure 2). However, unlike Google's one box search, Microsoft's version doesn't always take the user to a search results page, making it far less useful. The IE 9 beta's one box frequently takes the user to a single Web page. So using the one box in IE 9 to search for "airplanes" takes the user to a B.o.B. music video site, whereas doing the same search using Google Chrome's single search box takes you to a search results page for "airplanes."

[Click on image for larger view.]

Figure 2. IE 9's "one box" address bar. One distinguishing aspect that Microsoft has emphasized with search in IE 9 is that users can limit the search engine from transmitting information to the search provider as the user types. Microsoft considers this to be a privacy violation, and has accused Google of unnecessarily invading user privacy by transmitting the query string in that way.

IE 9 Pluses and Minuses

Now that working copies of the new browser are available, it's time to look at Microsoft's promises and execution. Microsoft provides a table listing the benefits it sees for the IE 9 beta over competing browsers, namely Firefox 4.0 Beta 3 and Chrome 6.0 (Opera is missing). The table shows big holes in terms of ease-of-use and security for the two competitors. In addition, Microsoft offers another table (see Figure 3) showing how the IE 9 beta beats out older Internet Explorer versions, zeroing in on IE 7 and IE 8.

[Click on image for larger view.]

Figure 3. Different Internet Explorer versions compared.

One of the things to watch out for when opting to test the IE 9 beta is that installing it wipes out IE 8. You don't get a copy of IE 9 that runs alongside IE 8, as you did with the IE 9 platform previews. For some users, wiping out IE 8 may be a problem, although they could always try uninstalling IE 9 should things not work.

Inside IE 9: The Chrome Effect

09/30/2010

Another caveat is that the installation of IE 9 on a Windows 7 machine may seem a little more time consuming than expected. The install requires a reboot to take effect. Microsoft itself has pointed out that the IE 9 beta currently has a problem working with Microsoft's Office Live Workspace, which is Microsoft's online document storage and sharing space. Users have been receiving error messages when trying to log into that site, according to a Microsoft blog post. The blog cites steps to get around the issue, but it also notes that Windows Live Workspace users will soon be transitioned to Windows Live Skydrive, a similar Web-based document storage solution that will offer up to 25 GB of space. The issue of update control and maintaining support for legacy functionality is a serious one for many businesses. Microsoft's fidelity in giving IT pros ultimate control over whether to accept an update or not ensures that Internet Explorer will continue to be used by businesses and organizations. The flip side to such control is that when organizations decline to install browser updates, it can lead to serious security issues. Organizations still stuck on IE 6 have experienced this problem. For instance, Google's corporate headquarters reportedly had data stolen due to an IE 6 security hole, allegedly exploited by Chinese hackers. IE 9 as a Windows "Feature" Microsoft's perspective about its browser is different from that of the rest of the world. The world sees Internet Explorer as another program, but Microsoft long ago took the legal position (and settled a U.S. antitrust case over that issue in 1994) that Internet Explorer is a "feature" of Windows, as Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has described it. As a Windows feature, IE 9 is oddly being launched separately from an actual Windows operating system launch. However, Microsoft has made it clear that IE 9 currently only works with Windows 7 and Windows Vista. It doesn't work with Windows XP, which currently is the most popularly used operating system in the world. Microsoft is touting IE 9 user interface features as Windows features, and has been noting IE 9's integration with Windows 7. IE 9 is all about Windows, and Microsoft has been quite explicit in saying so. Its 93-page IE 9 beta product guide (8 MB download) tells that story. "In designing Internet Explorer 9, we have optimized the browsing experience for the Windows customer," the guide states on page 9. "This focus has informed everything that we have done in planning, developing, and releasing the latest beta version of Internet Explorer." To a certain extent, IE 9 is designed to get users hooked on the Vista/Windows 7 user "experience," which is Microsoft's nomenclature for "user interface." IE 9 incorporates several Windows-like features. For instance, users can pin Web pages to the task bar in Windows 7/Vista, making Web pages appear as if they were frequently accessed applications in Windows (see Figure 4). These pinned sites display the logo of the Web page for easy recognition. Web site designers can design "jumplists" (Microsoft's term for a popup menu of links) that can be associated with these pinned sites to facilitate site navigation.

[Click on image for larger view.]

Figure 4. Pinning Web pages to the task bar.

Microsoft has also enabled its Aero Snap Windows feature to work in IE 9. Aero Snap lets a user pull a browser tab out as a separate window and align it side-by-side with another window, making comparisons easier. Despite its name, the two windows did not "snap" into place -- I had to resize them. Google Chrome already has this sort of functionality. Firefox has long allowed users to pull tabs out, but it pulls them out as full-sized browsers, making sizing them down a little more tedious than with IE 9 and Google Chrome. In an interview with CNet, Steven Sinofsky, president of the Windows and Windows Live Division, suggested that Microsoft only has to care about making IE 9 work with Windows. That fact makes design decisions easier for Microsoft compared with other browser makers, who have to design for OSes such as Linux or Mac OS. Sinofsky also suggested that IE 9 would have an "additive" positive effect on users when combined with the Windows 7 experience. The Next Big Thing Microsoft puts out a lot of free software and IE 9 is free, like competing browsers. Altruism isn't the reason for the company's generosity. Microsoft is simply keeping current with the latest developing Web technologies with IE 9. It has embraced the Web through Internet Explorer as part of the Windows experience -- a formulation that may not last the test of time. For this release, Microsoft has stayed on the cutting edge and kept current with developing specs from standards bodies. The IE 9 beta was devised based on hundreds of tests that Microsoft's Internet Explorer team wrote to clarify the ambiguities of developing standards. Those tests address developing specs such as HTML 5, SVG 1.1, CSS 3.0, ECMAScript 5 and DOM L2 and L3. A lead product manager for Google's Chrome browser team even heaped praise on Microsoft effort to stick to standards, according to a Financial Times report. The IE 9 beta taps into hardware-accelerated graphics, using a device's graphics processing unit, if present, to display scalable vector graphics. Microsoft added a new ECMAScript 5-based Chakra JavaScript engine that has shown performance results akin to other leading browsers. Microsoft moved JavaScript processing more into the DOM to achieve those faster results. The IE 9 beta release simply reflects Microsoft's efforts to keep up with the competition. In the recent past, browsers such as Opera, Firefox and Chrome have typically led perceptions over Microsoft's IE 8 browser in terms of speed and standards support. With IE 9 beta, Microsoft hopes to stop a steady losing streak in terms of browser market share. For instance, Internet Explorer use has lost about one percentage point each month from July 2009 to April 2010, according to Net Applications. Meanwhile, Google Chrome has showed a slow but steady uptick in use. Google Chrome use has more than doubled since Oct. 2009, which is a feat equaled by no other leading browser, according to a Net Applications chart. The release of the IE 9 beta likely will succeed in regaining that lost market share because Microsoft is at least equaling or exceeding its competitors in areas of dispute, such as browser speed and standards compliance. Microsoft is also projecting message to Web site developers that they can write code once and have it work across IE 9 and competing browsers -- a strong bonding point, and a break from the past with the quirky IE 6 release. The IE 9 beta is more than just a free browser. It represents Microsoft's future survival ticket. The online world has become a primary destination for both business and consumer PC users. Microsoft has reoriented its product lines toward the Internet cloud, with Ballmer signaling Microsoft's "all-in" commitmentback in March. Cloud interoperability has been the prime concern of Microsoft Chief Software Architect Ray Ozzie. However, the move toward the Web for Microsoft extends even further back. A 1995 memo from then Microsoft CEO Bill Gates, "The Internet Tidal Wave," noted that Microsoft had to shift its business focus more toward the Internet, both for Windows and Office. By 2001, Microsoft had destroyed Netscape Navigator's lead in the browser market, having used its Windows OS monopoly to push Internet Explorer. After IE became the most used browser, releases of IE were fewer and farther between, history shows. As that lead slipped in recent times, Microsoft reassembled its Internet Explorer team to deal with the threat. The result is the IE 9 beta. The methodical engineering push behind IE 9, credited to IE General Manager Dean Hachamovitch and Stephen Sinofsky (the guy who kept the Windows 7 "train" running on time), clearly shows that Microsoft's management has understood and implemented the ideas cited in Gates' 15-year-old memo. Windows is still part of that Microsoft Internet plan. However, the existential challenge to Microsoft's move to the cloud is that Windows may not be necessary at all in a future Internet services world.

Google's plan to release its Chrome OS Web operating system late this year (or perhaps early next year) includes the idea that users don't need Windows, or any other operating system, to access applications. Users simply get to their applications online, starting up their devices quickly without Windows, Mac OS or Linux. The Windows-less world of Chrome OS remains to be seen. It's not clear if Chrome OS will handle common operations, such as printing and establishing network connections -- tasks typically handled by an operating system. However, if a shift does occur to a world without Windows, Microsoft likely will be ready. Its all-in-the-cloud changeover has already begun.

http://redmondmag.com/Articles/2010/09/30/Inside-IE-9.aspx?Page=1

Seven Reasons Why Google Chrome Could Take the Lead

By Mike Schuster Mar 02, 2010 2:20 pm Now that Firefox has dipped, Chrome could start gunning for Internet Explorer.

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Firefox now has its own version of the FourMinute Mile. The designated "alternative browser" to Microsoft's (MSFT) everdominant Internet Explorer has seen its market share steadily rise since its 2004 debut, but recent months its shown a slight dip in popularity. November 2009 saw Mozilla's plucky program edge closest to a 25% share and start to fall -- failing to officially reach one in four Web users. While the drop since then has been a fraction of a percentage point, one browser is showing noticeable gains since its release and could be a major reason why Firefox is losing users: Google Chrome (GOOG). According to Ars Technica, Chrome was the

only browser to show positive gains last month, though it's still far behind Firefox and IE at 5.61% of the market. However, recent developments have buoyed Chrome past Apple's (AAPL) Safari browser and could potentially put it within a stone's throw of Firefox in the future. And who knows? In a few years time, certain scenarios could make even Microsoft start to sweat. Here are seven reasons why Chrome is picking up steam. 1. A trusted name. People know Google, people use Google, people trust Google -- for the most part. The company behind the ubiquitous search engine and favorite email client is now capable of launching just about any app with an existing user base in the hundreds of millions. The average person probably couldn't give you the name of the company behind the Opera browser -- even if the answer's right in front of them -- but any person in a conscious state could tell you the most popular search engine of all time.

2. High-profile ad banners. Take the number of people using Google's search engine and watching the latest OK Go video on YouTube and multiply that number by two. The answer is the number of eyeballs potentially seeing an ad for Google Chrome in the corner. As any marketing exec could assert, a consumer can only be inundated with a product so much until he surrenders. Or at least gives it a test run. And speaking of YouTube... 3. The switch to HTML5. The gradual decline and imminent death of Adobe Flash(ADBE) will soon give way to HTML5 video. (See Google, IAC Begin Adobe Flash's Death March). Cleaner and more secure, HTML5 video is seeing early support in a number of browsers, but guess which ones are still hobbled by the code. Yep, Firefox and IE. Without any add-ons, the two browsers can't display HTML5 video with the proper codec, so naturally, Google implemented it into YouTube. As it stands, only Chrome and Safari support HTML5 video without a hitch, and IE requires an extension that mimics -- yep -- Google Chrome. And

while we're on the subject... 4. The death of Internet Explorer 6. A bane of every Web developer across the world, last month the nine-year-old IE6 commanded an inexcusable 20% share of users running any version of Microsoft's browser. So, acting in the best interest of users, developers, and itself, Google ceased allowing IE6 access to its line of Web apps this week and will end support on YouTube starting March 13. (See Microsoft's Old Browser Gets an Irish Funeral). Sure, the user will be prompted to upgrade their browser -- and more likely than not, that will just be a higher version of IE. However, there's still a disconnect between function and obsolescence that can persuade the user to a competitor. 5. Growing developer support. Perhaps the main reason keeping Firefox devotees from jumping ship to Chrome was its lack of extensions. Firefox might be above average out of the box, but add-ons are what give it a personal touch. Once Chrome started supporting extensions like Adblock

and Xmarks -- as well as add Mac support -not only did this draw the attention of the user but also developers who have turned Chrome's extension library into one that can rival Firefox's. As the number of third-party developers grows, so will the user base. 6. Firefox's growing bloat. There was a time when Firefox was the only viable alternative to Microsoft's reigning champion. But competitors have been working hard to design browsers to deliver sites the fastest and with a minimal memory footprint. Firefox, unfortunately, still bears the mark of a RAM hog, and recent speed tests show it lagging behind Chrome in load times. Given the choice between the two, the decision today is vastly different from when Chrome first premiered. 7. Chrome OS. Sometime in the latter half of the year, Google will unveil its lightweight operating system -- appropriately named Chrome OS. While the cloud-based netbook interface will turn off many consumers, there are some who will gravitate to the notion of quick and

easy Web apps over bloated desktop apps. And some analysts would argue that's where the industry is headed. If so, looks like Google has a lengthy head start.
http://www.minyanville.com/businessmarkets/articles/web-browser-chrome-safarifirefox-speed/3/2/2010/id/27095