Google Chrome, why I switched from Firefox and IE
Google Chrome. You must have been living under a rock if you haven't heard of it yet. I'll get to the point eventually about how I ended up on Google Chrome, but here's a short history lesson - or maybe it's a bit of reminiscing on my part. My prediction is that Chrome will own at least 10% of the browser market share by the end of 2010 and will swap places with Firefox by the summer of 2011. Expect in the spring of 2012 for Google Chrome to be competing head to head with Internet Explorer and by the end of 2012 for it to own the market share. Let's see later on just how far off (or close) I am.
I can remember many years ago (1993 I think it was) playing around with the first web browsers available such as Cello, Net Chameleon and an early version of Netscape. Actually come to think of it I remember using Lynx, a DOS browser and some obscure thing called KA9Q when I got my first Internet diialup account with Demon. How things have changed since those early days.
Not long after those early days I pretty much switched to using Netscape and for a while things were good, the Internet was becoming very popular and it seemed everyone else used Netscape. Then along came Internet Explorer (IE) and although I was hesitant at first, I switched over to mostly using that instead. Perhaps this was partly because at work IE was installed and generally recommended for use on the companies Intranet. Anyway, it did the job and I guess I was too lazy to go back to Netscape at home, besides, at the time I wasn't really doing anything in the way of web development so I didn't really care.
That all changed though and just as I was getting into HTML and playing around with ASP, along came a new sleek and streamlined Opera. I really liked Opera from the moment I first used it and at the time declared it my browser of choice. Not many others around me at the time were interested in Opera and I discovered something else. I discovered just how differently a page can render on one browser when compared with the others, and so begins the drudgery of cross browser support and platform testing. It must be noted that I later switched back to IE because of a few deficiencies in Opera at the time, namely that sometimes the results were so radically different to IE and Netscape that I felt compelled to move with the herd.
And so began my days in London as a web developer. I believe IE6 was just around the corner and most of the people I knew or worked with were using IE with the exception of a few of the creative types with their Apple Mac things; they were still using Netscape. IE6 was adopted everywhere and as far as I can tell has been one of the most popular browsers ever. Probably not a good thing that, because Microsoft weren't known for sticking to the rules and IE6 didn't follow standards as well as it should have. Oh Netscape wasn't forgotten and it had a hardcore following, but it had lost the battle with IE. That was clear.
Skip forward a few years because IE6 was around for what seemed like ages and I wasn't an early adopter of Firefox, in fact I was prepared to defend IE to the death and shunned Firefox with a passion. I'm not sure why, perhaps I was feeling my age and resisted change! As anyone who develops web pages will tell you, it's handy to have a few other browsers around to test your work on. It's a matter of pride as much as anything to make sure your sites look the same no matter what people are peering through. I inevitably had a copy of Firefox (and Safari, and the newer version of Opera) installed on my PC. Firefox sneaked up on me and I found myself actually appreciating the browsing experience. I occasionally dabbled with Opera again as well. Can't say I ever appreciated Safari though. You have to have that 'special' gene to enjoy that experience. I started using Firefox as my main browser and even nudged my girlfriend in that direction too, but my love affair with the fox was to be short lived. Enter stage left - Google Chrome.
Google Chrome didn't rock my world from the moment I laid eyes on it. I was already a fan of Google stuff though so I was prepared to give it a reasonable trial. The first thing I missed was my Google Toolbar, particularly my online bookmarks and my pagerank checker. I found other ways of coping whilst I gave the new kid on the block a chance. I was very pleased with the simplicity of Google Chrome and it certainly was fast. These are two things that are very important to me. As ask anyone who knows me would tell you, I can't stand clutter and I'm not the most patient person in the world (at least not all the time). The minimal interface for me was a clear winner and it has to be said, pages rendered by Chrome were easy on the eye. I still found Firefox a bit boxy.
I think I gave Google Chrome more than a chance though because it soon became my main browser, still is, and I don't see that changing any time soon. My girlfriend has also moved over to Chrome and seems to quite like it. Chrome meanwhile, continues to improve with each new version. It's getting faster and more capable with each iteration without compromising it's simplicity. By the way, this is something I think that Google do very well - keeping things simple and yet just working very effectively. Chrome is all these things. A few months back browser extensions became available and bookmarks will now sync over multiple computers. What more can you ask for? I also have an extension that allows me to check page rank and use the dreaded IE tab when I find a site that was designed purely for IE (why do people do that??).
Chrome OS is on the horizon and I'm looking forward to seeing what that will bring. I'll probably still have Windows on my main PC as I still enjoy gaming from time to time and flight sims etc. Perhaps my old laptop could have Chrome OS on it though when it arrives. Let's wait and see though. In the meantime keep an eye on those predictions!