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Chrome Post Hype

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by Kevin Maney
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Oct 13 2008 2:26pm EDT

Chrome, Post-Hype

Kevin Maney writes: Google's Chrome browser has dipped slightly in popularity. So what's going on? Well, in part that's to be expected. The browser got so much hype when unveiled in September, boatloads of people were bound to download and try it just to see what the fuss was about. Then many went back to IE, Firefox or Safari, while others stuck with Chrome.


I'm one of those who has stuck with Chrome, and after a month or so of using it, I'd say there are two main things I like. One is its sheer speed. Conde Nast's Web-based e-mail, for instance, takes so long to load on IE or Firefox, you could make lunch waiting for it. With Chrome, it pops up almost instantly.

The other reason is that seemingly innocuous innovation of putting search into the address box. After using it for a while, this seems so innately handy, I imagine every browser will do it going forward.

But Chrome hasn't done better mainly because it's not really a finished product. It's missing some important add-ons, doesn't work with some Web sites (my banking Web site is a hot mess when it lands in Chrome), and sometimes just folds up and closes a tab for no apparent reason. Still, as users get to know it better, and as Google tweaks the browser, I think it has a good chance of winning the mainstream user -- or at least forcing other browsers to match its speed and capabilities.


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