The Chrome browser from Google continues to thrive as a leader when it comes to speed, interface design as well as functionality.
However, it faces fierce competition from Internet Explorer, Firefox and Opera Mini and this puts a strain on Chrome’s dominance.
Notable Changes in Newer Chrome Versions
The Google Chrome 33 version has been built to address stability and security issues. It also comes with a few missing options that were available in its predecessor. For instance, with this version, it is impossible to reopen tabs from a new tab page and you cannot choose a new tab page, all you get is Google’s search box.
When compared to Chrome 31, this newer version features a ‘noisy tab’ feature that comes with a miniature speaker that has a sound waves icon that displays in a tab playing music. This is a helpful feature if you have multiple tabs open and you want to turn off the music. You won’t have to go to each tab to get the tab with the music player. The default home page in the new Chrome version comes with a bigger Chrome search box and also features thumbnails of the most visited web pages.
Installing Chrome 33
The way the download and installation process is set up, it clearly demonstrates Chrome’s commitment to speed. You simply have to click on the ‘install’ button on Chrome’s webpage for the downloading and installing process to begin. In just under a minute, the new version will be installed and running on your system. This browser is available for all recent windows versions, Linux and Mac OS X. This is a big plus for Chrome since its competition, Internet Explorer, is only available on windows 7, 8 and 8.1. Chrome also auto-updates in the background. However, you will be notified before extensions are updated. This is a great option to ensure you keep unwanted extensions at bay.
The Built-In PDF Support and Flash
Chrome was the initial browser to introduce in-built Adobe Flash as opposed to separately installing it. This means that the flash player auto-updates as the browser auto-updates. Also, the new Chrome version has dealt with the insecurity issues common with Adobe Flash. This is all thanks to the fact that Chrome now runs this plug-in, in a separate sandbox, to ensure it is incapable of accessing vital system areas. Also, Chrome now comes with a PDF reader.
The Interface
Chrome was the first, to use minimalist interface designs, but the trend has now been taken up by its competitors. The Chrome interface comes with one menu button that can access the options menu and the settings menu. Chrome offers the “Omnibox”, which is a combination of the address and search bar.
The Tabs
The new Chrome version still maintains the tab implementation. These tabs are distinctively located on the top side of the browser and can be dragged out to create windows in the desktop. It is possible to pin a site on the tab bar and you can remove the thumbnail easily.
The Extensions
You can access Chrome extensions from the customization menu’s submenu. This is easier as opposed to opening the extensions page as a separate window. Each extension comes with a checkbox that allows the extension to run when you are in private mode. From the extensions gallery, you can sort the extensions by ‘top rated’, featured and ‘most recent’.
Performance
When Chrome was first introduced to the market, it hit the market by storm, mostly because of its exceptional JavaScript performance. However, over the years, other operating systems have come out with better performance rates, to beat Chrome for the first place. However, Chrome start-up time is lower than most.
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