Nearly all of the time I dedicate to work and personal life on my computer is spent inside a browser, so speed and using software that ‘just works’ are very essential to me. As a Windows user, I currently use both Firefox and Google Chrome, but unless I really need a certain extension lacking on Google’s browser I’ll use Chrome as much as I can and avoid opening the many tabs I usually need to fire up in Firefox. I don’t even look at all the tests comparing the speed of all the browsers anymore. I tried all the latest versions of all the familiar browsers on my machine, and Google Chrome – which yesterday got an even speedier beta version – just makes my browsing experience more of a delight than an annoyance, even if it only feels faster.
Even so, it’s safe to say its adoption rate can hardly be deemed staggering, which is why Google puts so much effort into promoting the software program on its own (vast) advertising network. (The fact that Google Chrome is lacking a Mac-compatible version doesn’t help). Today, Google is launching another initiative that is meant to drive more awareness for the JavaScript processing speed of its browser and the V8 engine it runs on, in the hopes that it will lure more users into trying it out and subsequently sticking with it.
The project is called Chrome Experiments and basically features – at launch – a total of 19 JavaScript-based games, tools and visualizations created by a number of external designers and developers such as REAS, Toxi and Mr. Doob. I tested most of the mini apps and they’re nothing special as such, most of them are basic games and random visualizations, although some stuff I’ve never actually seen inside a browser and particularly not built with JavaScript. For instance, some of the experiments include a visual effect controlled by the user’s physical movement caught via Webcam, a video puzzle spread across different browser windows, and Flash-like graphics done in Javascript.
The website, besides being distinctly black, lets people try out the browser apps and rate, comment on and share them. Developers and designers are meanwhile encouraged to voluntarily create other experiments using JavaScript (and other languages) and submit them for review.
And we thought the team was focused on building a version supported on Macs.
It’s not going to harm the market share by not having a mac version out is it?
Be realistic, they only make up about 5% max of worldwide computers.
But those 5% people are the ones who are the most vocal and have the potential to drive a significant percentage of the remaining 95% into adopting the new browser.
If that were true we’d all be running Safari!
Most vocal? No, maybe most whiny.
LOL
http://sports.okguru.com
5% was yesterday…
1/4 of the laptop market. My guess would be laptop users use google stuff much more than desktop, plus most notebook users probably have control over browser selection.
A lot of the desktop #’s are for corp-info-robots that can’t use chrome until their IT god blesses it, which he won’t, because most corp IT gods barely know how to use a computer outside of their MS cert training classes…
I would’t say I’m a god but I am a humble admin, who wants what works. IE can be configured and managed with Group Policy, it can be updated with WSUS and works with Sharepoint. Those are the 3 reasons IT admins don’t really have much choice.
I second Lewis
JavaScript is not what it used to be. It fully changes the point of view on Browsers in some markets such as CE. Web-based UI is not a chimera anymore, and thanks Palm for understanding it!
A robust and version controlled JS platform would be better idea. Problem with JS is sometimes .js files dont download, a robust system is required to re-download. Same for Ajax call failures.
Platform may have componets like Ajax, drag-drop ajax, graphics etc. If it is version controlled by some good company like google/php etc., it would be better – this will facilitate common script source=google.com/js-platform/graphics+ajax+v01 for all webpages of all websites.
But if they launch a Mac version of the browser they will get a huge media coverage and the leaders that many follow use macs. Of course that is only considering the markets of USA and Canada.
The truth is people around the globe still use largely IE. Which is bad.
It will be good to se a statistic of browser market share per country or region at least.
Firefox usage in Europe is much stronger than in the U.S. It’s weaker in Asia, and about the same in Latin America.
- A
it’s crushing…
i am too much of a firefox fanboy to use chrome without plugins
I can’t agree more about Chrome.
I was firefox only for many years, but Chrome is so much lighter and speedier.
I only use firefox for sites that don’t support Chrome.
There are still far too many of these.
That is the problem…
It should be that Chrome supports all the sites, not that the sites should support Chrome.
Good point…
Love the bottom line: "And we thought the team was focused on building a version supported on Macs." (and GNU/Linux, I add up)
Wow this thing just is lighting fast.
what’s wrong with IE? It works quite well even rendering TechCrunch.com, the Ultimate Google Fanboy Site
you should be banned for life for mentioning to use ie
Yeah, that’s cool and all, but I’d much rather they focus on supporting the other platforms instead of writing games.
But, I’m sure these were written in “spare time” so I can’t really complain.
I still <3 Chrome.
Ok
Is there some contest going on for shortest spam submission? Can we make the next one for invisible spam submissions?
y
In Chrome, I like how snappy it is when it launches (no other browser even close). Faster rendering is less important, since even if it renders page a little bit slower, user doesn’t know if it is browser is slower or the network.
Looks cool.
Safari 4 also does nearly all of the experiments.
“For instance, some of the experiments include a visual effect controlled by the user’s physical movement caught via Webcam,”
Actually I can’t see that either. And I can’t find it via a google search either. Are you sure you can read a webcam image via javascript?
Incidently, I really love these threaded comments..
Can anyone tell me what app/plugin TechCrunch uses?
Wordpress does threaded comments naively, newb.
Great post! Check out my site too http://macmaniapodcast.com.
Firefox extensions like Foxmarks and iMacros save more time than any Chrome JS tweak
Google should focus on the extension interface, does anyone know if that is really planned?
google chrome sucks. I can’t install the del.icio.us addons nor yahoo toolbar on it, thus making my browsing experience painful, and meaningless.
i used it for a couple of minutes, and uninstalled it. Forever.
I think Chrome needs some more development, thus time for people to get used to it and to use it.
I think Chrome needs some more development, thus time for people to get used to it and to use it.
BTW I love your blog!
I think Chrome needs some more development, thus time for people to get used to it and to use it.
I submitted World of Solitaire (http://worldofsolitaire.com)
It’s a Solitaire site I created using just JavaScript.
I think it’s a pretty good showcase of what JavaScript can do
This cute article gives me a headstart about behind the scene stuff of Google chrome and Javascript. We also wrote some interesting articles on javascript at our blog. We welcome your comment after going through the post.
Thanks,
Dip
as a web developer, i don’t even try to use Chrome in my work. and as a PhotoWordPresser (if that’s even a word), i get annoyed with its seeming randomness when it comes to the folder choices it presents for browsing/uploading files.
i also (somewhat) frequently encounter flash crashes in chrome. maybe has to do with fact i’ve not upgraded to flash 10.
the HTML/etc inspector also has tons of room for improvement. selecting a point on a page and “inspect element” from right-click often doesn’t work right. sometimes takes me to the point it should, sometimes entire code is collapsed and i’m at the top. Firebug has this dialed, no reason chrome can’t achieve same functionality.
i also would suggest that they implement F11/full-screen functionality.
anyhow i’ts fast for quick surfing. for web work though, it’s not my cup of tea – yet.
thanks for this article, i’m off to check out the javascript madness.