Sep 16, 2008
Google released its own Web browser called Chrome few weeks ago and whole web was buzzing with excitement since then. They did it Google style. Everything is neat, clean and simple. And quite a few features are also unique. Google engineers obviously put a lot of thought into scratching their itches with web applications. Javascript engine is fast and whole browser is created around the idea that web is just a place for applications. One of the most touted things about Chrome were its security features. You can read whole account of basic Chrome features on its project page.
In Chrome each tab runs as a separate process communicating with main window through standard IPC. This means that if there is fatal error in handling of some page (malicious or otherwise), other tabs should be unaffected and your half-written witty response to that jerk on the forum will not be lost. Chrome also has other security enhancements, that should make it more secure. I said should. Within few days of Chrome release several security vulnerabilities surfaced, ranging from simply annoying DOS to plain dangerous remote code execution.
What caught my attention was bug that enabled downloading files to user's desktop without user confirmation. It was caused by Googlers using older version of Webkit open source rendering engine in Chrome. Integrating "foreign" software with your application can be tricky, especially if you have to ensure that everything will be working smoothly after the upgrade. In that respect, it is sometimes OK to use older versions of libraries. As long as you fix at least security bugs. People write buggy software. Google engineers included. I am just surprised that they don't have any process that would prevent distribution of software with known security vulnerabilities to the public.
And that is the main problem. Chrome is beta software. Because of this, bugs are to be expected. But Google went public with Chrome in the worst possible way. They included link to Chrome download page on their home page, making hundreds of thousands of people their beta testers. People who have no idea what "beta testing" actually means. They just know that Google has some cool new stuff. So let's try it right? Wrong. Most of us expect our browser to be safe for e-banking, porn and kids (not necessarily in that order). Unfortunately Chrome is not that kind of browser. Yet. I am pretty sure it is gonna be great browser in the future though. But right now Google should put big red sign saying "DANGEROUS" in the middle of Chrome download page.
Until Chrome becomes polished enough for Google to stop calling it "beta", it has no place on desktops of common computer users. Even oh-so-evil Microsoft doesn't show download link for IE8 beta on their main page to promote it. Mentioned issues aside, Chrome really sports few good ideas that other browsers could use as well. Try it out, and you will like it. Then go back to your old browser for the time being.
In Chrome each tab runs as a separate process communicating with main window through standard IPC. This means that if there is fatal error in handling of some page (malicious or otherwise), other tabs should be unaffected and your half-written witty response to that jerk on the forum will not be lost. Chrome also has other security enhancements, that should make it more secure. I said should. Within few days of Chrome release several security vulnerabilities surfaced, ranging from simply annoying DOS to plain dangerous remote code execution.
What caught my attention was bug that enabled downloading files to user's desktop without user confirmation. It was caused by Googlers using older version of Webkit open source rendering engine in Chrome. Integrating "foreign" software with your application can be tricky, especially if you have to ensure that everything will be working smoothly after the upgrade. In that respect, it is sometimes OK to use older versions of libraries. As long as you fix at least security bugs. People write buggy software. Google engineers included. I am just surprised that they don't have any process that would prevent distribution of software with known security vulnerabilities to the public.
And that is the main problem. Chrome is beta software. Because of this, bugs are to be expected. But Google went public with Chrome in the worst possible way. They included link to Chrome download page on their home page, making hundreds of thousands of people their beta testers. People who have no idea what "beta testing" actually means. They just know that Google has some cool new stuff. So let's try it right? Wrong. Most of us expect our browser to be safe for e-banking, porn and kids (not necessarily in that order). Unfortunately Chrome is not that kind of browser. Yet. I am pretty sure it is gonna be great browser in the future though. But right now Google should put big red sign saying "DANGEROUS" in the middle of Chrome download page.
Until Chrome becomes polished enough for Google to stop calling it "beta", it has no place on desktops of common computer users. Even oh-so-evil Microsoft doesn't show download link for IE8 beta on their main page to promote it. Mentioned issues aside, Chrome really sports few good ideas that other browsers could use as well. Try it out, and you will like it. Then go back to your old browser for the time being.
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