Google ( NSDQ: GOOG) has posted about the new browser on its official blog, and it has posted the comic-book describing the browser online here.. It will launch tomorrow in about 100 countries. From the post: "What we really needed was not just a browser, but also a modern platform for web pages and applications, and that's what we set out to build...Under the hood, we were able to build the foundation of a browser that runs today's complex web applications much better. By keeping each tab in an isolated "sandbox", we were able to prevent one tab from crashing another and provide improved protection from rogue sites. We improved speed and responsiveness across the board. We also built a more powerful JavaScript engine, V8, to power the next generation of web applications that aren't even possible in today's browsers." For now, this is Windows version only, and Google is working on Mac and Linux versions too.
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On open-sourcing it: "We've used components from Apple's ( NSDQ: AAPL) WebKit and Mozilla's Firefox, among others?and in that spirit, we are making all of our code open source as well."

Original post: Google is going after the fundamental underpinning of how users access the Internet: it is going to launch a new web browser called Chrome, according to various reports ( first reported here). It may come as soon as tomorrow, reports ATD.

This despite Google's continued support of the other open source browser Mozilla...just last week it extended its support of the Mozilla foundation until 2011.

Chrome will feature enhanced address-bar features, including a new format for tabs, the ability to view Web pages as thumbnails, and other new features meant to make web browsing faster. The browser, of course, will integrate various Google services in it, something that rivals has accused Microsoft ( NSDQ: MSFT) of doing over the years when invoking the monopoly claims against the software giant.

A Google browser has been rumored for many years now, as the company moves closer to developing services rivaling MSFT, including its core constituency of MSFT Office products...Google did launch its Google Docs product, which while popular among a sub-set, has not caught on in the mainstream yet. The development of a Google browser will help allay fears that MSFT could wean away search share through its IE8 browser?

As to how it got leaked out, through a comic book (yes!) mailed by Google to some users. The full comic book explaining the features is posted here. Check out its use of "multi-process design" to help speed up loading pages with multiple javascript apps on it, which is common these days. Remains to be seen how much faster the browser is?

As for the already-overloaded web designers, another browser that they now have to optimize web pages too...hurray.

10:18 AM
Categories: General Info. Author: SacHu