If the schedule for Google’s big annual developer conference is any indication, we should expect to see an extension platform released for Chrome sometime this May.
Programmer Nicholas Moline has noticed a session called “Developing extensions for Google Chrome” among the 38 sessions posted to the Google I/O website. It sits alongside two other Chrome-specific sessions (the others titled “Exploring Chrome internals” and “V8: Building a high performance JavaScript engine” respectively) and carries the following description:
Learn how Google Chrome makes it easy to write extensions using the web technologies you already know. This talk will cover the basics of the extension system (distribution/packaging, installation, updates), as well as the different APIs to enhance with the browser.
This isn’t a guarantee that extensions will be released before or during the conference, but it’s hard to believe Google would hold a session on the topic if we didn’t see them sometime around the date of the conference.
Extensions, which are very popular among Firefox users, were notably absent from Chrome when it launched last September. Google has since made it clear that it has always planned to provide for them at some point. However, many have taken it into their hands to hack away at Chrome on their own.
As Google Operating System points out, Google has already enabled user scripts for Chrome. A draft of the extensions model can also be found here.
yeah lack of plugins such as noscript, adblock , downloadhelper is a deal breaker for me not to used chrome more.
I honestly thought I’d miss them too, but the speed of Chrome makes me coming back for more every time.
I don’t think you can *really* notice a speed difference, especially given how sporadic internet connection speeds and server response times are.
And, not having to deal with ads means I can navigate pages quicker because they aren’t cluttered with garbage.
Eric, I can’t help but think Ad block is immoral, people put a good deal of work into making sites, and yet you block out the one thing that earns them money (but I guess in some senses you must be quite technologically skilled so likely blank the adverts mentally anyhow)
Having the pages run as separate processes is nice though. I’ll be looking forward to a Mac version (planned, I think) and AdBlock/Firebug, then I may switch.
I’ll stop using AdBlock when the other 20 million people who have downloaded it do : )
Indeed! I can’t say I’ve not used it once, but I just wonder what would happen if everyone used it? Where would the web be at that point?
Eric, I notice a speed difference, it’s not even a subtle one.
Chrome is much faster than FF3, in my experience, but Shiretoko (alpha build of Firefox) is appreciably faster than either. I switched to Minefield, now Shiretoko, some months ago and I wouldn’t think about changing.
BTW, its losing Firebug, not AdBlock, that keeps me from using Chrome.
@Daniel
What will happen when everyone starts to blocking ads? The same thing that happened to popups, which means 2 things:
- part of the sites will realize that given the option between a clean site and a site full of useless rubish ads people are choosing the first one, and then will stop serving ads voluntarily and find other sources of revenue (paid premium, etc)
- part of the sites will find immoral and will develop new ways to not get blocked, which normally means even more obtrusive/annoying ads, and the arms race will keep going on between sites and blockers
Eventually the first group will have better results and the second will follow on their footsteps.
At least that’s my optimistic view of the whole thing, I really do not see advertisement-as-the-main-source-of-revenue as a model in the long run, companies relying on that today are fooling themselves.
I gave Chrome a tryout but soon found myself back with Firefox, opening 50 tabs at a time, noscript, bookmarking, etc., and I have no complaints about Firefox speed. Only problem is sometimes it simply closes down on me, maybe once a week, but the “restore previous session” has saved everything.
My website url was not typed correctly in above comment.
Thats all nice but how about a bookmark all feature; thats number 1 on my list, its the only browser with tabs that does not a have bookmark all/save all feature
I can’t say I liked Chrome as much as everyone else. I felt it often was sluggish, and I didn’t like the UI. It felt a little too much like it was trying to save too much space. On the desktop I’m sure most don’t mind about having search and URL bar separate. I know for a fact it confused my sister! But that being said, Plugins could change alot I hate about Chrome and turn it into something quite amazing!
(Disclosure: I work on a site which could be considered to complete against Google Search)
disclosure: nobody cares
I really like Chrome, and to me theres no need for plugins (or maybe one, Firebug…). But besides that I really dont use extensions.
I would rather have a built in RSS-support and a Mac version.
I love Firefox and Flock, and I hate Google Chrome
Chrome is quicker than FF. Especially since I can’t help myself and load too many useless FF extensions when I use it.
Extensions could kill one of Chrome’s best features, its speed.
what an irony if google allows adblock extension ))
They already said they would.
Couple of my colleagues had to remove Chrome after it made outlook crash. Still long way to go, they are late in market. I am not going to wait until it is smooth to work with. Firefox saved me from IE, I am not going to ditch it for small improvements,
typo – i meant so “I am going to wait until it is smooth to work with”
amen for chrome extensions.. long awaited
Lack of extensions is the main thing that keeps me from using Opera. And though Chrome already is my default browser thanks to it’s speed, I still miss them for any webdev or SEO related work I do. Have to use FF or Flock then. Once extensions are here Chrome will rule the web.
With any luck, someone will port Firebug over to Chrome…Chromebug, if you will.
It is boring that Google always looks for somebody to find this stuff and make it public instead of going on the press route. Now an old trick.
Why has everyone forgotten the little fact that Chrome is closed, proprietary software?
Surely this the most valuable thing about the Mozilla project. By definition Firefox can never turn into the new Internet Explorer, because Firefox is controlled by its users.
Unlike Chrome.
Not true, Chromium, the open source project on which Google Chrome is based on is open(BSD license) and you can fork it at any time if you disagree with Google hired code drivers decisions:
http://chromium.org
It was just time they got extensions out. I’m much in love with Firefox extensions like Downloadhelper, FireFtp, Hyperwords (you’ve written on this), Foxmarks etc. If Chrome wants to be my default browser, then it has to pull a rabbit out of the hat.
I need lots of extension for Chrome,
firebug;
foxmark;
HTML validator;
twitter;
theme;
then I’ll switch.
And where is the Mac OS X version?
i love firefox
& also,,,i like google chrome
-that is a hideous logo
-just what struggling companies need right now- to allocate more manpower to maintaining yet another browswer with its own quirks
-firebug is manna from heaven
I haven’t tried Google Chrome yet, but with some useful extensions I just might give it a whirl.
http://www.twit...thetechbasement
… well that is great news, but the speed of GC is what makes me use it, i don’t mind at all that there are no extensions…. i will use it in the future too, really cool browser that i recommend to everyone!!!
I’m thrilling to see AdBlock on Chrome !