Crowning Chrome

I've got to think that the internet browser is the most commonly used piece of software on a personal computer... and if it's not, then it's certainly headed there. Heck, Google has an operating system debuting that's nothing but a browser. Given this fact, I find it incredible how little thought most people put into selecting a browser. I've made a habit of asking my friends what browser they're using when I see them on their computer. I usually get a funny look, but this is nothing new, so I don't let it deter me. Their reaction probably comes from the fact that most people don't notice the difference when comparing one browser to another. This happens with a lot of software, and often the choice really doesn't matter.

Let's take one example where I believe choice does matter--text editors. Most people use word processors now, but text editors are still important. Wikipedia lists WELL over 100 different text editors. All text editors perform the essential task of writing ASCII to the disk, so what's the big deal? All the pseudo-religious emacs and vi fans out there just had a collective aneurysm. What spawns this seemingly irrational devotion? I'll give you a hint... if it's not the big things, then it must be the little things. (Or the medium things, I guess... bear with me, and let's assume that it's the little things.) The fact is that the little things make a huge difference when you're talking about a piece of software you'll likely spend years using throughout your lifetime. Hopefully I've convinced you that the seemingly insignificant distinctions I'm about to draw actually add up to a meaningfully improved experience.

Like text editors, tons of web browsers exist. Internet Explorer is in it's 8th major iteration. (If you care to look at the actual URL for that link, you'll begin to understand why IE isn't my favorite browser.) Mozilla Firefox, an outgrowth of the Netscape browser that started it all, is a popular open source alternative. Safari is Apple's horse in the race. Some upstart browsers like Rockmelt are trying to gain a foothold by offering an original twist on the traditional browser. In the case of Rockmelt, the twist is tight integration with social media. What's that?... I left one out?

Chrome just rocks. As hard as it is to believe, I didn't write this post to break the news to my reader base (makes it sound existent) that there's more than one text editor out there. I wanted to write about Chrome. Here are a couple of things that make Chrome an engine of productivity and enjoyment:

1. Minimalist Design
Chrome gets out of the way and lets you get on with whatever you're trying to accomplish on the internet (presumably not staring at a huge header filled with seldom used buttons.) Tab bar. Search bar. Bookmark bar. That's it. I use these three with almost equal frequency i.e. HIGH frequency. The point here is that Chrome shows you what you need to see and doesn't waste space showing you anything else.

2. One Search Box to Rule Them All
Instead of relying on the user to choose either the address box or the search box, Chrome simply makes the decision itself. Type something into the one stop shop at the top, and Chrome decides whether you're typing a URL or a search term. It's decision is almost never wrong because it's not hard to tell the difference between the two.

3. Search Engine Shortcuts
Remember what I said about small things making a big difference? Hopefully that sunk in because if it didn't, I'm going to get laughed off the page here. Chrome has a feature that allows the user to search a site directly from the one search box. An example will clarify. Rather than typing in "www.wikipedia.com", going to the site, and typing in the search, you can just type "wiki" and then your search term. Chrome takes you directly to the page thereby saving you the intermediate stop on the Wikipedia homepage and the hassle of typing in your search term once you get there.

4. Speed
(Not the white powdery kind you snort through a tube and makes you scream, the fast powerful kind that sucks bits through the tubes onto your screen.) I'm not sure of the technical details, but Chrome loads sections of a web page in parallel. For modern web pages, this makes a huge difference. If you believe Google, Chrome is faster than a potato cannon. In my experience, Chrome isn't that fast, but it IS noticeably faster than Internet Explorer and Firefox.

Those are just a few of the reasons that I use Chrome and why you should too. If you end up switching and like it, leave me a glowing comment. If you switch and wish you hadn't, your comment will be briefly considered and then swiftly dismissed.