On Chrome

Google does a lot of things well. I use their email, their blogging platform, their calendar, their RSS reader, their advertising system, their online document editors, and, of course, their search engine.

That said, I'm not a fan of downloading applications that run on my local computer- so I haven't even tried Google Desktop or Google Toolbar or any of the widgets that come along with those. I use Google Talk solely through the Gmail interface, not the stand-alone application. When Google's shiny new web browser Chrome came along, though, I had to give it a try. I'm a sucker for shiny new web browsers. I'm like a kitten in a room full of cat trees- the new toys make me want to romp around and explore all the nooks and crannies. I'm also fascinated by the user experience innovations each browser along the evolutionary path has brought to the discussion. To explain Chrome's innovations, Google created a comic.

My impression? I like the new Task Manager built in to the browser. I like the small form factor. It's a little unnerving to not have a menu bar, but I'll get used to it. I'm also having to get used to a new icon on the Taskbar- I glance down, don't see Firefox, and immediately think I don't have a browser open- but I do!

My browser's still shiny & new & I'm still wearing it in. We'll see if it's a keeper.