Google Chrome

If people with low IQs tend to use the Internet Explorer more than other browsers, it seems that in the United Kingdom, people are getting smarter by the day as more people switch to Google Chrome.

Recent reports show that the number of Google Chrome users in Britain has swelled to the point that it is now next only to Internet Explorer users. Chrome has in fact bumped Firefox from the number 2 spot, claiming 22% of all UK Internet browser users. Internet Explorer still has a clear edge with 45% of the market, but that isn’t surprising since the browser is pre-installed in most computers when you buy it in the country (and elsewhere for that matter). In spite of this, the downward trend in the number of Internet Explorer users is still very evident, especially if you consider that just about 2 years ago IE still had almost 70% of the market share, while Chrome had but a measly 1%.

This is also not the only headache that Google is giving Microsoft. There’s their increasingly frustrating problem with search as Bing fails to make any real impact despite their marketing efforts. More importantly, there’s the looming problem of the Chromebook. There is the point that we have yet to see how it will be received, but with everyone’s Internet dependence, it wouldn’t be too surprising if a laptop that gives you instant web access and lets you stay connected at all times will be welcomed with open arms.

If you wish to compare the Chromebook though with traditional laptops, you’ll have a hard time just looking at the specs since you won’t find anything about the hard disk. Afterall, the whole point of the Chromebook is that it stores and hosts its data online in a cloud, eliminating some hardware needs. This is also the reason that they should be able to sell the Chromebook at a lower price compared to Windows-powered laptops. Right now the Chromebook is going for $349 (Acer Chromebook) and $429 (Samsung Series 5 Chromebook). Though you will find lots of laptops and netbooks for less, the Chromebook should theoretically be able to outstrip them in performance.

A few days ago, Google released Google SSL, a service that will help you if you’re worried about privacy concerns when Googling for stuff (you’re still Googling for Hello Kitty bikini pictures aren’t you?) and you don’t want your searches to be easily accessible to third parties. If you still don’t know what Google SSL does, here’s a nice explanation from Google:

– SSL encrypts the communication channel between Google and a searcher’s computer. When search traffic is encrypted, it can’t be read by third parties trying to access the connection between a searcher’s computer and Google’s servers. Note that the SSL protocol does have some limitations — more details are below.
- As another layer of privacy, SSL search turns off a browser’s referrers . Web browsers typically turn off referrers when going from HTTPS to HTTP mode to provide extra privacy. By clicking on a search result that takes you to an HTTP site, you could disable any customizations that the website provides based on the referrer information.

You can go to Google SSL by typing in https://www.google.com on your browser. Currently though, SSL is available for web search only. Searching on Maps and Images would still make your searches accessible.

Now if you want to make Google SSL the default search on your laptop’s browser, there are quick and easy ways to go about it. For Google Chrome, you just have to right click on the Omnibar and select edit search engines, click on “add” button, enter “Google Encrypted” in the name field, something like “ge” in the keyword field and copy/paste this URL: “https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%s” in the url field.

For Firefox, all you need to do is to install this plugin.

Well, now these are design ideas so far, but if this gets implemented, Google Chrome OS will get a window management scheme that’s similar to Apple’s Cover Flow seen on iTunes and Safari.

We present tabs in a venetian blind arrangement, ensuring visibility of the top left of every page, and using perspective to compress the most useful portions of the page into the available strips. Favicons are presented as an alternative visual aid. 

There’s also a tab Switching overlay that would be really cool to have running if implemented. It kind of reminds me of the effects on Compiz.

A lightweight version of this may be available for quick alt-tab switching. This would be sorted by most recently used (versus the ordered, ctrl-tab switcher) and would potentially include recently closed items from history. When switching, the contents in the background would swap to match the currently selected thumbnail/icon. 

Sadly, there’s a huge disclaimer that says “Note: UI under development. Designs are subject to change.” on the Chromium User Experience page where I got these images from.

What do you think of these new design ideas for window management?

So we’ve been hearing about Google’s Chrome operating system for a while now, but we haven’t really heard of one computer manufacturer releasing a netbook running the much-awaited OS, have we?

It could change in two weeks, according to Venture Beat. If the rumors are to be believed, Taiwanese computer manufacturer Acer might be releasing a Google Chrome OS device at the Computex Taipei show, which will be held from June 1 to 5.

Google will probably settle on Android for tablets eventually — it’s already built for multitouch support, and its analogous to Apple bringing the iPhone OS to the iPad. Android’s small footprint also makes it easy to use in integrated devices, like Google’s upcoming “Dragonpoint”  TV project with Sony and Intel. Chrome OS, which is clearly better suited for devices with keyboards and trackpads, will find itself on more netbooks and smartbooks. Last year, Google CEO Eric Schmidt mentioned that the two projects will merge over time (see Google’s graphic below), so eventually the differences might not matter.

Google initially planned to release Chrome OS sometime in the second half of this year. Acer’s Chrome OS device launch in early June fits into that schedule, although we’re not sure when those devices will be available for purchase.

Google Chrome OS is designed for netbooks, but you know that Google’s thinking of installing the OS on tablets as well. Which is why it’s unclear what device Acer will be releasing. Either way, if the rumors prove to be true, this will be the first Chrome OS device to hit the market. I wouldn’t mind if we got it in netbook or in tablet form.

A few months before, the Google Tablet was all but a pipe dream. And now, we might be able to see the first serious competitor to the iPad turn into reality. And the great news is that the upcoming tablet computer might be developed by Verizon and Google.

But if you’re expecting the Chromium OS to be running on the (currently-mythical) Google Tablet, you’ll be disappointed. Google has decided that Android will be the perfect operating system for its first tablet computer.

From Bloomberg:

The tablet will run on Google’s Android operating system, Marquett Smith, a spokesman for Verizon, said today in a phone interview. He declined to elaborate and said the carrier will release more details later this week.

The device would accelerate the rivalry between Apple and Google, which already compete in wireless software and mobile advertising. Apple released the iPad in the U.S. on April 3 and sold a million of them in 28 days. Mountain View, California- based Google has worked to move beyond its core business of Internet search and into mobile services.

“Everyone is going to have a device that is going to compete with the iPad,” said Al Hilwa, an analyst at research firm IDC in Seattle. “Apple created that market, legitimized it. Everybody has seen that this is going to be huge.”

The Google Tablet running Android is a good idea, if you ask me. The iPad is running the iPhone OS and so far, the net has indicated that it has been running beautifully.

What do you think of this new development though? I’d like to hear your thoughts in the comments.

However Google seems to be on a collision course with Apple. After the search engine giant’s Google Voice app was pulled from the iTunes App Store, they responded by releasing the Google Nexus One. They’re also moving in the operating system business by way of the Google Chrome OS (I’ve been pretty unimpressed with it, by the way), and they’re poised to go for laptops/netbooks as well with the as-of-yet mythical Google netbook.

But it looks like they’re also going for the tablet market as well, because we’re seeing a Google Chrome OS tablet in the future. We’ve heard rants about the iPad a million times already and it’s not even out yet, so the Google Chrome Tablet is looking pretty attractive to those not yet fully convinced that the iPad is the future.

So the guys at Chromium just posted some picture mockups and a video simulation of the Google Chrome Tablet in action. Guess what? It can run more than one application!

Check out the video below:

Although I know that we’ll be seeing more touchscreen internet appliances in the future, I still don’t know if touchscreen devices are actually a good deal now or if we have to wait a couple of years more. And I still am iffy with the prospect of an all-cloud operating system, even though it makes more sense with a tablet PC over a netbook.

What do you guys think?

[via]

Fresh off the heels of the Nexus One announcement, it seems that Google is not yet finished pulling off another surprise in the hardware department.

Google has been working with hardware manufacturers in Chrome OS-related matters to ensure a good customer experience when the OS comes out next year. According to a Google FAQ, “The Google Chrome OS team is currently working with a number of technology companies to design and build devices that deliver an extraordinary end user experience. Among others, these companies include Acer, Adobe, ASUS, Freescale, Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo, Qualcomm, Texas Instruments, and Toshiba.”

But now it seems like the big G is coordinating with a hardware manufacturer right now to create a Google-branded netbook. Ok, I honestly don’t see anything wrong with this. I’m guessing they’re doing this to prevent splintering of the OS – a trap that Android is in danger of falling into right now. A Google-branded netbook would keep hardware developers from changing Chrome OS too much. Just look at Android app developer’s frustration right now.

The thing is, I don’t see Chrome OS having apps being developed for it. Chrome OS is meant to keep all your data in the cloud in the first place. So it’s all going to be shortcut icons leading to the web app of choice. If the web app works for Chrome the OS, I don’t see how it wouldn’t work on Chrome the browser on Windows/Mac/Linux.

I’m sure the Google netbook will be way more unpowered than the current netbooks available. Anyway, it’s too early to see what Google has up their sleeve.

Google is in no hurry to release their netbook, by the way. People are predicting that Google is aiming for a late 2010 release.

[via]

I’ve been totally excited about Chrome OS for some time now, and I was eagerly looking forward to the big yesterday. But the screenshots that came out left me with a feeling of “that’s it?!”

Okay, I knew all along that Chrome OS will be cloud-based and that you won’t be able to do much with it without an internet connection. Fair enough. I just wasn’t expecting that they’d turn out this uninspired design that looks no different from Chrome, the browser.

It’s just basically the Chrome browser slapped on top of a Linux base. So those expecting to go crazy on multimedia with it are going to be mightily disappointed. It’s just something you put on your netbook and boot up really quickly when you need to browse and/or do some Google Docs work on the go. It’s not even going to try to wean you off Windows (well, not until we all start to work on the cloud alone).

Just in case you’re curious to see how Chrome OS runs, you better check out the video below.