Review of Google-Chrome Web Browser at Robert Pogson

It took a little bit of familiarization, but I am really enjoying this browser.

It tabs the way I want, with a newly opened tab to the right of the current tab instead of 20 tabs to the right
It spell-checks so that I can see the error. FF’s redline was too thin for me.
It’s FAST!
5.0.307.7 beta is stable for me except for some TinyMCE pages (HTML works, RTF crashes the page)
The current tab is brighter so I can work the tabs better. I tried all kinds of things in FF and got dim and dimmer tabs. Perhaps it’s the monitor or the eyes but Google-Chrome works much better for me
The menus are almost non-existent and it’s OK, because the mouse and keyboard can control everything.
I am not sure about security. It’s too new, but I would bet that the more recently a browser is developed, the more likely that care is taken to watch for potential security holes. Google Chrome is copyright 2006-2010 so it is in the era post-worm-waves.
Search works right from the address bar. You do not need to type a “g” prefix to get Google, for instance, just something not a URI will go to Google for searching. This saves clicks.

You can download it at no cost from http://www.google.com/chrome. It runs on GNU/Linux as well as that other OS.

I am considering pushing this out to my XP clients. I may convert my XP clients to GNU/Linux at the same time. Some consultation is in order. I have set up a backup server so staff can backup their files properly. I could wait a bit until the 500 gB drives ordered arrive to be sure there are no surprises. The boss has asked me to give a presentation on the migration and advantages of change at the next staff meeting. Administration of the thick clients and terminal servers for thin clients will be a lot easier using GNU/Linux. Chrome could be a big part of that. Anything that makes these five-year old PCs run faster is welcome.

My Mission

My observations and opinions about IT are based on 40 years of use in science and technology and lately, in education. I like IT that is fast, cost-effective and reliable. I do not care whether my solution is the same as yours. I like to think for myself.

My first use of GNU/Linux in 2001 was so remarkably better than what I had been using, I feel it is important work to share GNU/Linux with the world. I have been blessed by working in schools where students and school systems have benefited by good, modular software easily installed in most systems.

I have shown GNU/Linux to thousands of students and hundreds of teachers over the years and will continue in some way doing that until I die in spite of the opposition.

2 Responses to “Review of Google-Chrome Web Browser”

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1 DOUGman Mar 14th, 2010 at 4:26 pm

NASlite is a nice server distribution to use, works flawlessly.
2 Robert Pogson Mar 14th, 2010 at 4:38 pm

Thanks. I will check it out. I just had a power supply on a server die but some spares have come in. Yesterday, I had a break-in. Luckily the spares were still stacked in the admin area. Dodged a bullet. Decent storage is coming to this place one way or another.