I downloaded Google‘s new browser Chrome this morning and the first thing I noticed was how quickly it loaded. By comparison, I loaded Microsoft webcam software from a disk the other day and it took close to 30 minutes. FROM A DISK.
Google, at its best, is all about simplicity. Spare-ness and ease-of-use are defining brand traits of Google. By removing all the tschockes, tabs and options, Chrome has done us all a service and provided a great browser interface. The product is heavily engineered and has lots of whistles for the major nerds, but they are not in your face. When Google gets away from this simple approach and “goes deep,”as it does with word processing and spreadsheets it begins to lose its way.
Chrome is close to Google’s core competence in “search” so it should do well, but I wonder if it will begin to piss off the Open Source and Firefox communities. I’m betting it will. It will be interesting to watch. Peace!
