Google Chrome is an interesting web browser with some exciting technological changes. The new version patches over 300 bugs that caused crashes in the previous versions.

The most obvious feature of this version is that the address bar is now 'inside' the tabs. Given that the address is different for each tab this makes sense and does actually make the already clean interface look even more efficient.

The browser itself is based on the Webkit software (used by Apple's Safari browser) and V8 engine. The Javascript engine (used for Ajax-based web 2.0 web sites such as their own Gmail) is all new. A major advance is that each tab can run Javascript without having to wait for the others to finish .

In fact each tab works as a separate process in Windows, much like each one being a separate program. This helps to conserve system memory on the computer and should mean that if there is a problem with one tab, the others will keep working as normal.

What annoyed us is, Chrome 2 does not let you arrange your own hand picked sites (like Opera's Dial feature), rather fills the entire page with 'most visited' sites. It is still early days for this browser, but the genuine innovation and improved interface hint of good things to come.

One thing we missed is the availability of add-on's. Otherwise Chrome is a fast and simple-looking web browser that could become a serious contender in the future.


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