eWEEK Labs Walk-Through: Google Chrome
by Jim Rapoza
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Like many browsers, upon installation Google Chrome will offer to import passwords and make itself the default browser.
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While Google Chrome works well on most Web sites, some sites will not identify it as an acceptable browser, a problem made worse by the difficulty of changing Chrome’s user agent.
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When Google Chrome blocks pop-up windows, a small pop-up in the lower right corner of the browser notifies the user of the block.
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The first time a user accesses many areas of Chrome, the browser provides information on that area’s features.
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Password management in Google Chrome is pretty standard, with the yellow bar asking if the user wants to save a password for a site.
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When a new tab is opened in Chrome, thumbnails of the most frequently visited Web sites are displayed, along with recent bookmarks and closed tabs.
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The well-implemented Google Gears integration in Google Chrome makes it possible to convert a Web-based application into a form of desktop application.
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The Gears integration, called application shortcuts in Chrome, lets users take applications such as Gmail and launch them from the desktop or start menu without launching a separate browser window.
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The nicely implemented tabbed windows in Google Chrome can be easily manipulated; for example, dragging a tab outside of the browser creates a new window of that site.
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Google Chrome comes with its own built-in task manager, which makes it possible to easily close tabs or windows of hanging sites without restarting the entire browser.
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Incognito mode in Google Chrome is a private browsing feature that lets users surf without saving traces of their browsing session in history or other areas of the browser.
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A hooded spy icon in the upper left-hand corner of the Chrome browser reminds users that they are surfing in Incognito mode.
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Like most modern browsers, Google Chrome has a safe browsing feature that warns users before they go to known malware Web sites.
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A small bar at the bottom of the browser displays any files being downloaded.
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Rather than a download manager window, Google Chrome uses a browser page to help users view and manage downloaded files.
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A similar page-based browser history window has very nice features for searching for pages stored in the browser history.
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A nicely implemented JavaScript console helps developers view troublesome code on Web sites.
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Google Chrome provides only the most basic settings and customization options for users.
