Google Chrome Follow-up

Several weeks ago, I worked with Google Chrome. I liked it, and since then, the plugin system has matured, and I’ve been using it more.

By “using it more” I actually mean, using the Google Chromium daily PPA. I decided to use the Chromium version because it’s open-source.

I’m using it on my netbook (1 gb ram, Atom processor, 1024×576, etc) and it’s very snappy. Load times are faster than Firefox and Flock, and the extensions that it has makes the whole thing even better.

I’m using Adthwart, ChromeMilk, Google Calendar Checker, One Number, RSS Subscription Extension, and Shareaholic. These extensions really help make the browser shine and work better for me. I like the way Chrome integrates tightly with Google services. It makes checking email easy and fast.

Chromium is now my default browser on my netbook. It’s a lightweight browser that has extensions and is very easy to use.

There are some slight differences between Chromium and Firefox, mainly the use of webkit and moving your tabs to the top of the screen. Once you get beyond this, it’s very well laid-out and has a very modern look.

I still give it my thumbs-up. If you need something light for a netbook, or even an aging computer, I recommend highly.

Google Chrome Beta

Google Chrome has been released for Linux, and there is a build for Ubuntu available on the Chrome site.

I’ve been using it with various extensions, and so far it’s very stable and easy to use. I’ve used Chromium in the past (from the Ubuntu PPA) and I’ve found it to be stable also. I like the speed of startup and the ease of search from the address bar. I also like the extensions I have installed:

• Adthwart- An adblocking extension. Doesn’t do as good of a job as Adblock+ for Firefox though.
• ChromeMilk- A Remember the Milk extension. Great for managing your RTM tasks in Chrome.
• Facebook Notifications- Gives me a quick overview of Facebook activity.
• One Number- This extension notifies me of new activity in Google Reader, Gmail, and Google Wave. Very nice, and does it all in one icon.
• RSS Subscription Extension- Adds an RSS icon to the address bar when there’s an RSS feed on the page you’re viewing.
• Shareaholic- Brilliant extension that lets you share via digg, delicious, posterous, tumblr and more.

Installation was as simple as they come; download the .deb (or .rpm), double click, enter your password, and bam! it installs. Start it from your menu and it’s up and running immediately.

Chrome starts faster than Flock or Firefox and is laid out well. I didn’t have to muck with any toolbars or remove any icons like I do with Firefox and Flock.

The installation of extensions is as simple as going to the extensions page and clicking on whatever extension you want. It will automatically install and enable with no restart. This is one of the neatest things, as Firefox and Flock both need to be restarted after installing an extension.

I need to give it some more testing, but at first try I really like this. I’m not sure if it will take over my “top dog” browser (Flock) but I like the simplicity and ease of use of Google Chrome.

Try it out; i doubt you will be disappointed.

Blogged with the Flock Browser