Google launches their own open-source browser coined, Google Chrome. You can read about why Google decided to launch their browser here.
Under the hood, we were able to build the foundation of a browser that runs today’s complex web applications much better . By keeping each tab in an isolated “sandbox”, we were able to prevent one tab from crashing another and provide improved protection from rogue sites. We improved speed and responsiveness across the board. We also built V8, a more powerful JavaScript engine, to power the next generation of web applications that aren’t even possible in today’s browsers.
This is just the beginning - Google Chrome is far from done. We’ve released this beta for Windows to start the broader discussion and hear from you as quickly as possible. We’re hard at work building versions for Mac and Linux too, and we’ll continue to make it even faster and more robust.
Basically, Google is trying to make a new browser that will compete against the likes of Firefox and IE. On top of entering the highly competitive browser market, Google is determined to bring Web2.0 apps that use AJAX, javascript, and other popular languages to load faster.
Google is also trying to make the most “memory-efficient” browser ever by using multiple-threading. Threading is a common term used in computer hardware and software to divide CPU power among different programs.
I downloaded Google Chrome and installed on my PC through the Google Chrome Download page.
After installing, I did load up some of my blogs to see how fast it loads. Surprisingly, this browser processes CSS much like Firefox except everything seems to run faster.
I did discover another thing about the Google Chrome and how it makes new “threads”. If you press Ctrl+Alt+Del key (the same one you press when you get Windows blue screen of death), you will see “Chrome.exe” running as processes in your computer.
The strange thing is that there are multiple of these processes, not one. This is the multi-threading feature of Google Chrome. Multi-threading is also known as forking in terms of unix.
It’s a really simple idea really, having multiple processes run 1 single program for maximum efficiency and to protect against memory lock-ups.
What Google did is apply a simply computer theory into Firefox. (I believe Google’s browser is based on the same open source project as Firefox)
In conclusion, you can see that there are multiple Chrome.exe’s running at 10 to 20K of memory while Firefox grabs 144K with 1 process.
This type of multi-threading is pretty simple to do and I think it might get applied to Firefox and IE very soon.
(Screenshot of a New Tab on Google Chrome)
You might be surprised to find that the Google Chrome will bring up small screenshots of the most recent websites you visited. (Another simple feature that Google applied. Simple but geninus.)
Right now, it’s too hard to tell how many people will start using the Google Chrome Web Browser but in my quick 5-minutes test, it looks really good. (Who knows, maybe in 5 years we will have Google Chrome and Firefox, no more IE and Bill Gates)
The thing I do like most about Google Chrome is that it’s completely open-source, just like Firefox. Google is really doing the next step, taking over every PC in every home. Before Google was only a search site, now they will be more once Chrome goes popular.
Google Chrome Resources
Google Chrome Explained in Cartoon
Google Chrome Official Download Page
