The internet plays an important role in many people’s lives so Google aims to make it a perfect place for the world. With this goal, it is not a surprise that Google developed a browser of its own. Google Chrome beta has been officially released yesterday (September 02, 2008) for the world to use. Although Mac and Linux versions of Chrome are not yet available, Windows users can now enjoy this new browser.

Here’s the video that tells the story about the new Google Chrome Browser:

To switch or not to switch to Google Chrome. That is the big question that is playing many people’s minds. Right after learning about the release of Google Chrome Beta, I immediately downloaded and installed it in my computer to try and test it. I will give my review and thoughts about this new Google browser to help people in deciding on whether to switch to Chrome or not.

There are 10 key features of Chrome which takes browsing into a whole new level. Some features are new but some are already present in browsers like Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox. The 10 key features of Google Chrome are:

Easy Import Settings – This is probably the first concern of any person that is considering a switch to Chrome. There are a lot of useful information on your old browser that you will need to transfer to your new browser. Chrome will let you import your bookmarks and settings during or after the browser is installed.

Creation of Application Shortcuts – You can easily create shortcuts to applications like Gmail and You Tube on your desktop, start menu or quick launch bar.

Simpler Download – Downloading files is made simpler in Chrome.

Dynamic Tabs – Browser tabs are one of the most important innovations for browsers. A new feature of Google Chrome is that you can drag a tab to open it to a new window.

Secured Browsing – A warning message will be displayed if you try to browse a web page that is suspected of malware or phishing. Google used to label web pages that is suspected of malware only in search results. Now that Google has its new browser, they’d definitely do that too!

Bookmark Web Pages – Bookmarking and managing your bookmarks are easier in this new browser.

Intelligent Address Bar – When you start typing in Chrome’s address bar, it will not only display your history but also suggest popular sites.

Crash Control – Chrome has a task manager that will let you see the amount of memory used by each tabs and see if there are tabs that are misbehaving.

New Tab Page – Open a tab with one click and see your most visited pages, bookmarks, searches and closed tabs.

Incognito Mode- Good or a Threat?

Incognito Mode is a feature in Google Chrome that cannot be found in other browsers. This mode will let you browse web pages without leaving any trace in your computer like search history and cookies. This a good feature for people who are using public computers like in internet cafes or a shared computer in their house. However, I see this feature as a threat to webmasters who are earning from affiliate programs. Affiliate programs use cookies that only expire after a few months. If internet surfers use the Incognito Mode in Chrome, I am seeing a huge drop in affiliate payouts in the near future.

There you go! I will try using Google Chrome for a few more days and see if there are other things that are worth considering in switching to it.

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