Chrome: Google Does a Browser...Finally

Sometimes, rumor turns into reality in a flash. Sometimes it takes awhile. The Scuttlebutt about Google working on a browser that dates to at least 2004 turns out to have been true: Over at All Things Digital, Kara Swisher is reporting that sources tell her that Google will officially launch Chrome, its browser, tomorrow.

Chrome is ambitious for sure--not a me-too product or a rebranding of someone else's browser, but a significantly new entrant that, on paper at least, sounds mighty appealing. Highlights:

--It has a tab-centric interface, with a default home page that shows snapshots of your favorite sites and new memory management techniques designed to prevent tabs from bogging down your browsing;

--It uses sandboxing to prevent malware from doing damage to your PC;

--It includes built-in anti-phishing;

--It uses an all-new JavaScript implementation designed to provide snappy performance for Web-based applications;

--It includes Gears, the Google-initiated platform that helps online apps provide offline capabilities;

--It's open source;

--It's based on Webkit, the same open-source browser engine that powers Apple's Safari.

I gleaned these facts from a remarkable 38 page comic book by cartoonist/explainer Scott McCloud. Google Blogoscoped has posted the whole thing, but it's long and dense with info for developers. So I've posted a condensed highlight reel over at my Technologizer site, covering most of the stuff of most interest to us folks who just use browsers rather than develop Internet content for them.

I read all 38 pages of the comic book, and while I thoroughly enjoyed doing so, I was still left with as many questions as answers. I've asked ten of the Chrome questions I'm most curious about at Technologizer.

I can't wait to try it out for myself. And while I've often written that you shouldn't assume that every new Google product will change the world, or even be very good out of the gate--here's my take on the lackluster state of Knol--I can't imagine that Chrome will just fizzle. And I'd love to hear your thoughts about it.

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