I've tried Google Chrome before, and contrary to almost every review and comment I've read about the browser, found it to be resource-heavy. But yesterday, I was exhausted. On the days when I'm too tired to write a coherent blog post or string together passable product descriptions, I tend to download and try out applications. After a quick run with Seesmic for Windows (via Lifehacker), I decided to try Chrome for what I'm guesstimating is the third or fourth time.
I hemmed and hawed, trying to choose between the stable version, the beta version, or a standalone installation, but ended up going with build 4.0.223.16, discussed here. And Chrome is now set as my default browser. I still have the same concerns about Chrome's security that I mentioned late last month, and am still using both Firefox and Opera for particular purposes (including POD, browsing with TOR, and, yes, general surfing); but this build of Chrome impressed me with its lightweight performance.
What impressed me the most, though, was how Chrome handles streaming video. Last night, I watched Heroes on Hulu. The episode had to buffer a grand total of one time, and then, only for a few seconds. Video was crisp, snags in playback were nonexistent, and -- just for a while -- I managed to forget that I was watching the show online. From there, I went to Netflix for my nightly dose of Xena, and the improvement vs. playback in Firefox was remarkable, there, too: no freezes, and, what delighted me most, no heavy pixelization in the action scenes.
This post will be the test to see how well it performs with TypePad, but I already know that Chrome works with Zazzle. I was able to create and edit products with the browser, but -- although its form autofill feature is nice for logins -- I can't see Chrome as a POD workhorse until it has something similar to Firefox's InFormEnter and ColorZilla.
While I have my doubts about the features of those two Firefox extensions being added directly to Chrome, what I could see happening is beefing up user control of security a la Opera. If NoScript-style functionality isn't doable, then please, let me disable JavaScript but re-enable it for specific sites through site-specific preferences. If Opera is any indication, that sort of functionality can be included in a browser without weighing it down like Firefox's extensions sometimes do.
Please, Google, I want to love your browser! I already love its speed and simplicity. I adore its video performance. I get that you're trying to do something different with the browsing experience. But security is crucial. Give Chrome that one little piece of peace-of-mind polish, and I'll actually start recommending it instead of Firefox.
