How many of us remember when the Chrome Browser was introduced? When we all avoided installing it as it ‘slowed down’ the computer?
This was in 2008. How time flies.
Today, most of us use Chrome as a matter of course and no longer remember the days when Internet Explorer was the world’s number one browser.
This spot has since been overtaken by Chrome Browser with Internet Explorer pushed to second and Mozilla Firefox in third place.
So, how did the Chrome Browser come about and why is it still relevant?
When they launched in 2008 there were only two competitive browsers: Internet Explorer (60% of the market) and Firefox (30% of the market). Safari was only available on Apple products so wasn’t really a competitor.
Chrome was an open-source initiative, and the source code was available to the public via its open-source counterpart, the Chromium Browser (which has caused a little confusion) and they used components from Apple’s WebKit and Firefox to develop it. Since then, other developers have used the Chromium Browser to build their own browsers including Microsoft’s Edge which was retooled on Chromium in 2017.
Chrome was initially released on Windows in 2008 and then on Mac and Linux in 2010. Google had the money and resources to create a browser which was innovative and simple, and this is what attracted the users to it and goes someway to explaining why 13 years later it is the world’s number one browser.
Pros and Cons:
There are many advantages to Chrome Browser which is why it has overtaken IE and Firefox in the popularity stakes. These include:
- Simplicity – It is straight forward to use, and you only see the website you are currently on with no other distractions. This has created a streamlined appearance. Although all the icons at the top were removed you are able to customise your settings for each website.
- Safety – Google regularly updates the browser to ensure continued security for its users by blocking dangerous and malicious sites and flagging sites which are not secure.
- Cross Platform Compatibility – Chrome can be used on Windows, Mac and Linux platforms which is not possible with Edge or Safari for example. It is also possible to sync your web use across all your devices by logging into your Google account. This can make saving searches much easier.
- Speed – Despite the early hiccups Chrome is now considered to be competitive when it comes to loading speeds.
- Add-ons and Extensions – In 2010 Google introduced 1,500 extensions to the browser which has since then increased to more than 150,000 add-ons. These include security add-ons like ad blocking to customised extensions for bloggers and artists to customised themes.
- Tab Management – You can create new tabs, open them in new windows, and rearrange them using drag and drop as necessary and if you accidentally close one there is a recently visited tab feature. Additionally, if one-tab crashes it doesn’t crash the whole browser due to the sandbox feature.
- Incognito Browsing – Chrome Browser allows you to search in Incognito mode which doesn’t leave any cookies or tracking history on your system.
- Task Manager – The Task Manager feature enables you to track memory usage through extensions and add-ons helping you to make decisions as to how to manage them effectively.
- Built-in features – There are a number of inbuilt features such as Omnibox which means you can use the address bar as a keyword search box and the translation feature which can translate more than 50 languages.
Of course, what are for some considered to be advantages, for others are disadvantages. Chrome Browser’s disadvantages include:
- Simplicity – Some users liked seeing menus and icons on the bar at the top of the page, and the simplicity of Chrome has taken some getting used to.
- Privacy – Google has been fined multiple times in Europe for processing data without permission, and therefore Chrome Browser adds to this concern by syncing all your devices through one system. Mozilla Firefox has better privacy records, but as a default it uses Google as a search engine so it’s important to remember to change this if using Firefox as an alternative.
- Add-ons and Extensions – Although there are more than 150,000 add-ons there are more available for Mozilla Firefox.
- Tab Browsing – Although this can be great for organisation it can use more memory than a browser without it.
- Limited customisation – Unlike some of the other browsers on the market, Chrome doesn’t allow many customisation options.
If you would like advice on internet browsers, security and choosing the most suitable for your business then please contact the team at Supportwise.